Telesphore Toppo

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Telesphore Placidus Toppo (15 October 1939 – 4 October 2023) was an Indian prelate of the Catholic Church and a member of the aboriginal tribal community who was archbishop of the Archdiocese of Ranchi from 1985 to 2018, after serving as coadjutor there for a year. He was bishop of Dumka from 1978 to 1984. He was made a cardinal in 2003, the first from India's tribal population.

A polyglot, Toppo spoke Sadri, Oraon (mother tongues), Hindi (official language), English and Italian.[1]

Biography

Telesphore Placidus Toppo was born in Chainpur, in the state of Bihar and now in Jharkhand, India, on 15 October 1939, the eighth of ten children.[1] He and his family belonged to Adivasi (indigenous tribal) community.[2]

Toppo studied at St. Xavier's College, Ranchi, and theology at the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome. He was ordained priest on 3 May 1969 by Bishop Franz von Streng.

After a stint at Torpa (Jharkhand), as Headmaster of St Joseph's School and Director of the Lievens Vocational Center, Toppo was named Bishop of Dumka and received his episcopal consecration on 7 October 1978 from Archbishop Pius Kerketta SJ. He was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Ranchi, capital of the Jharkhand state, on 8 November 1984. He became Archbishop there on 7 August 1985.

Toppo was made cardinal-priest by Pope John Paul II on 21 October 2003, given the titular church of Sacro Cuore di Gesù agonizzante a Vitinia.[3] He was the third cardinal from India, the first Adivasi and the first tribal Indian.[2][1] He said the title of cardinal was a "mark of distinction for the tribal Church in India and recognition of its growth".[4]

Toppo was elector at the 2005 papal conclave that elected Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI.[5]

Toppo was elected to serve a two-year term president of Catholic Bishops' Conference of India on two occasions, in 2004[6] and 2006.[7] He also served as president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India, made up of Latin Rite bishops only, from 2001 to 2004 and from 2011 to 2013.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

At the Synod of Bishops in 2008, he endorsed ecumenical efforts but warned against "dilution of the Truth" and called for agreement on a common date for the celebration of Easter.[8] At the Synod on the New Evangelization in 2012, he called on religious orders to commit themselves anew to missionary work.[9]

Toppo was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2013 papal conclave that selected Pope Francis.[10]

On 11 February 2008, he called for the proclamation of a new Marian dogma on Mary, Mediatrix of graces, Co-Redemptrix of humanity, with Jesus as sole and unique mediator.[11][12]

Toppo sat on the Board of World Religious Leaders for the Elijah Interfaith Institute.[1]

Pope Francis accepted Toppo's resignation as Archbishop of Ranchi on 24 June 2018, announcing as his successor Felix Toppo, Bishop of Jamshedpur.[13]

Telesphore Toppo died at the Constant Lievens Hospital & Research Center in Mandar, on 4 October 2023, at the age of 83.[14]

References

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External links

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Template:S-relTemplate:S-breakTemplate:S-breakTemplate:S-breakTemplate:S-breakTemplate:S-breakTemplate:S-endTemplate:Authority control
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Bishop of Dumka
8 June 1978 – 8 November 1984 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Archbishop of Ranchi
7 August 1985 – 24 June 2018 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Vice-President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India
1998 – 2002 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India
2002 – 2005 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Cardinal-Priest of Sacro Cuore di Gesù agonizzante a Vitinia
21 October 2003 – 4 October 2023 Template:S-ttl/check

Template:S-vac Template:S-break

Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India
12 January 2004 – 19 February 2008 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India
12 January 2011 – February 2013 Template:S-ttl/check 		Template:S-aft/check Succeeded by
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  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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