Draft:Archbishop Thomas Pothacamury

First Archbishop of Bangalore From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Archbishop Thomas Pothacamury (2 September 1889 – 18 May 1968) was an Indian Roman Catholic prelate, journalist, and author. He was the first Bishop of Guntur, the first Indian Bishop of Bangalore,[1] and the first Archbishop of Bangalore after the diocese became an archdiocese in 1953. He was General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) and wrote The Church in Independent India (1961).

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Early life and priesthood

Thomas Pothacamury was born on 2 September 1889 in Ravipadu, located within the Narasaraopet Mandal of the Guntur District in present-day Andhra Pradesh. He was ordained a Roman Catholic priest on 17 December 1916.[2]

Before entering the episcopacy, Pothacamury worked in religious journalism as the Managing Editor of The New Leader, a Catholic newspaper based in Madras, now Chennai. His appointment as bishop in 1940 was reported by The New York Times, which described him as a "newspaper man" who had been named a Catholic bishop in India.[3]

Episcopal ministry

Pothacamury was appointed the first Bishop of Guntur in 1940 after the creation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Guntur.[4] In 1942, he was transferred to Bangalore as Bishop of Bangalore, becoming the first Indian to hold that office.[5]

The Diocese of Bangalore became an archdiocese on 19 September 1953, and Pothacamury became its first Archbishop. He held that office until his retirement in January 1968.[6]

Educational and institutional activities

Pothacamury founded St. Germain High School in Bangalore in January 1944 in memory of Rev. Fr. Saint Germain.[7]

Records of Dharmaram College state that Pothacamury laid the foundation stone of the institution in 1955.[8]

National church leadership

Pothacamury served as General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India during the 1950s. Contemporary records identify him in that role in connection with discussions on education, missionary activity, religious freedom, and matters affecting Christian communities in India.[9]

The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library preserves correspondence between Pothacamury and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. A letter dated 7 November 1958 records Nehru replying to Pothacamury on matters relating to education, scholarships, and Scheduled Caste Christians.[10]

Public life and writings

Pothacamury published The Church in Independent India in 1961.[11] The book discusses the Catholic Church in post-independence India and refers to religious freedom under Article 25 of the Constitution of India.

Retirement and death

Pothacamury retired in January 1968 and became Archbishop Emeritus of Bangalore. He died on 18 May 1968.[12]

Works

  • The Church in Independent India (1961)[13]

See also

  • Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bangalore
  • Roman Catholic Diocese of Guntur
  • Catholic Bishops' Conference of India
  • St. Germain High School
  • Dharmaram College

References

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