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Former Archbishop Rev. Arokiasamy dead

Special Correspondent

Rev. Marianus Arokiasamy — File Photo

MADURAI: Marianus Arokiasamy, the former Archbishop of Madurai Archdiocese hailed as `People's Bishop, died here on Thursday. He was 79.

Rev. Arokiasamy, who retired in 2003, was known for his keen interest in inter-faith dialogue and minority and Dalit rights. An outspoken cleric, he led the movement against suppression of minority rights and the anti-conversion law.

Born in Pudur Uthamanur of Tiruchi district on August 31, 1927, Rev. Arokiasamy was ordained as priest in 1957 in Rome, where he received a post-graduate degree in Philosophy and a doctorate in Theology. A close associate pointed out that Rev. Arokiasamy became a public figure when he, in association with the late Kundrakudi Adigal, toured Kanyakumari district to foster communal amity when communal riots broke out in Mondaicadu in the 1970s. This association later paved way for the formation of `Tiruvarut Peravai,' a multi-faith initiative.

Rev. Arokiasamy was elevated as the Archbishop of Madurai in 1987, after 17 years of service as Bishop of Kottar.

United Christian Council

As Archbishop, he formed the United Christian Council with the objective of unifying different churches. A significant achievement of this initiative, Z. Joseph Selvaraj, Vicar General said, was the publication of a common Bible. He was also instrumental in the formation of the United Minorities Forum.

A person with varied interests, Rev. Arokiasamy formulated a `vision statement' for Christians and aided the formation of a department for inter-faith dialogue in Madurai Kamaraj University, besides guiding the electoral preference of minorities during elections.

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