Mar Joseph Kundukulam and Maria Valtorta
Mar (Monsignor) Joseph Kundukulam (1917-1998) is an archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, one of the Eastern Catholic Churches of Kerala in India. He was nicknamed "the Father of the Poor" because of his commitment to the marginalized.[1]
Biography
Coming from a very devout family in rural Kerala, his appointment was seen as unexpected and innovative, as it broke with the well-established tradition within the Church of Kerala, where bishops were generally drawn from aristocratic families.
He founded several charitable institutions for the care of single mothers, homeless youth, people with disabilities, the elderly, AIDS patients, etc.
In 1971, he co-founded the Nirmala Dasi Sisters (Servants of God), a religious congregation that continues to manage these facilities and provide assistance to street children, slum dwellers and the destitute. First bishop of Trichur, the capital of Kerala, he later became its archbishop, grouping together several dioceses.
Maria Valtorta
On the occasion of the translation of Maria Valtorta's work into Malayalam, a local language, he wrote:
"Pope Pius XII, after reading them, expressed his trust in these visions. Even if the Church has not officially declared them authentic, readers can read them with great spiritual benefit, and understand in detail what the Evangelists wrote succinctly."
Notes and References
- ↑ See his biographical entry on Grokipedia.