Msgr. Benny Varghese Edathattel, Pulparambil (Bp of Itanagar)

When is your episcopal ordination?

On 15th October 2023 at 9.00 am at Sacred Heart Parish Church, Pappunallah, Nharlagun – Itanagar

What is your motto as a Bishop? Is it a quote, why do you take it as the motto of your call?

“I can do all things through Christ” is my motto taken from the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians (4:13).

I chose this quote because, for me, life is a gift from God. And the election to be a bishop is a privilege accorded with special responsibility. I firmly believe that this special grace is from God shown through human ways. I wish to grow deep in this awareness and response daily. I believe this knowledge, makes me rely on God to fulfil HIS mission through this office with utmost responsibility and due diligence. This God-centric perspective tunes my attitude toward myself and others around me in the world. Expectations from me are definitely high with ever-growing challenges, but I rely on God that I may be faithful in knowing and doing HIS will. He called me and chose me let me be His choicest blessing.

You are called from Kohima to head the diocese of Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh and you hail from Kothamangalam in Kerala, how do you understand your call?

Yes, indeed Kothamangalam to Kohima and now to Itanagar when I reflect on my call for the priesthood and now for the Episcopacy, I am gripped with the gratitude and amazement. My wish to be a missionary took me to Kohima without any prior knowledge. I had a very fulfilling ministry as a candidate, seminarian, deacon, and priest. It was a journey of 25 years as a priest and 36 years as a missionary; this indeed prepared me and called me to this new role as a bishop. Guidance from trusted mentors, spiritual directors, and other bishops who offered insight and wisdom further enriched my life as a priest and missionary. Now Arunachal Pradesh is culturally diverse, and being from Kerala, I will have to familiarize myself with the local customs, traditions, and practices of the people in the diocese of Itanagar. However my three- and-a-half-decade ministry in Nagaland sufficiently acquainted me with this aspect of life. I thank god and people for that. I always take the opportunity to learn about and appreciate the unique cultural richness of the region. As part of it, I am visiting and staying at places in the diocese as arranged by my predecessor Most Rev. John Thomas Kattrukudiyil.

The call to serve as a bishop is not about personal prominence of power, but rather a call to serve the people of the diocese with humility, love, and compassion. With a strong personal prayer life and a continued deepening relationship with God, I am confident to lead the people in faith. I took forward to collaborating with the priests, religious and faithful of the diocese, valuing their input, and involving them in decision-making process. Remember, embracing the role as a bishop is an ongoing journey of faith, entrusted with the care of souls and the spiritual wellbeing of the diocese. I must stay connected to the Holy Spirit, rely on God’s grace, and seek the counsel sand support of those around me as I undertake this important role. I seek your valuable prayers.

Itanagar in Aruchachal Pradesh is a border state, it is also influenced by the Buddhist religion, how do you understand the Catholic Mission of Christ’s call? How do you understand the cultural pluralism you live with?

I understand that the Catholic mission is not about imposing beliefs on others but rather about sharing the message of Christ’s love and fostering dialogue and understanding among different faith communities.

Bird’s eye view about Itanagar diocese

The Diocese of Itanagar is located in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. It is situated in the lower Himalayas, amidst scenic landscapes and lush greenery.

Itanagar is a bustling city with a rich cultural heritage, inhabited by various tribal communities. The diocese encompasses 17 civil districts. For the pastoral care the area is made into 51 parishes and several sub-stations.

The Catholic Church in Itanagar Diocese is characterized by its commitment to promoting the teachings of Jesus Christ and providing pastoral care to its members. The diocese is quite young as it is little less than two decade old since its erection as a diocese.

The Catholic community residing in the diocese is diverse and vibrant, consisting of people from different ethnic backgrounds and cultures. The diocese conducts regular Masses, sacraments, and religious ceremonies in various languages, such as Apatani, Nyishi, Adi, Hindi, and the local tribal languages, to cater to the spiritual needs of its members.

Catechesis, Education and healthcare are fundamental areas of focus for the diocese. Itanagar Catholic Diocese operates schools and educational institutions that provide quality education to children and young adults.

India is a land of beautiful traditions and different races. By becoming Christians we take on a share in Christ’s own task of spreading the good news. The challenge is great but the reward is certain. We need to make whatever preparations we need to leave the shadow world behind and encounter the fire of the spirit and the light of God. This is a new challenge. I am yet to understand its depth. There is a lot new in the culture, language, social policy, mission requirements, etc. Comparatively I am new to the Buddhists faith. I am open to learn how they see us and how well we can collaborate and share the responsibilitiesin the fields we can. I am aware that there are other religious groups too, and there is a need to broaden our perspective while taking into consideration our mission plans and programs.

India consists of Aryan, Dravidian and Mongolian races. How important are Mongolian and Buddhist traditions to India? Is there a tendency of one racial, hegemony?

India is indeed a diverse country with a rich tapestry of cultures, ethnicities, and traditions. It is important to understand and appreciate the contributions of all racial and cultural groups that make up Indian society, including the Mongolian and Buddhist traditions. While India is known for the Aryan and Dravidian races, it is worth noting that the term “race” is a social construct and not a scientifically validated concept. It is more appropriate to speak about different ethnicities or cultural groups in India.

We need to promote the renewal of the church’s life in this context. We need to promote ecumenical dialogue and the proclamation of the gospel to the modern world. The specialty and uniqueness of the Mongolian race are something to be appreciated. While those belonging to this section happened to be in a separate region, and it’s a matter of time and space that there is something that kept them at a distance.

It’s good and while it is also a concern in some ways. Christianity has made great inroads in the growth and development of this race. The N.E. Catholic Church has been instrumental in their progress which they admit and admire to any extent. I don’t see it as a challenge of races or as an attempt at hegemony but they have to be addressed with due respect to their culture, traditions, and socio-economic-geographical concerns. Faith and living are integral parts of a religion and it’s not to be addressed as something apart from ‘living.’ The revelations and teachings of the Catholic faith provide sanctification, renewal, and realization of human life to the best in the given situations, as in this case, the Mongolian race. As I see, the faith takes Mongolian taste and costume in this part of the world, while it has an Aryan or Dravidian feature elsewhere. These are complementary to one another than being competitive.

Religious fundamentalism is the mood of the present world, it has affected every religion, and do you confront persecution being a Christian?

The persecution of Christians and denial of Truth proclaimed by Christians is a perennial problem. However, it is getting harder these days. The causative factors are clear for understanding. There is a lot to be done. One of the foremost responsibilities in this context is to deepen the faith of those who have already accepted Jesus as their Lord, and in the meantime try to educate those who are yet to understand us. There is an added responsibility to safeguard and protect when we are affected as St. Joseph took care of Jesus. The situation is yet to be studied and known and I believe God will open for us the ways to go about in these trying concerns. Personally, I am not confronted with persecution being a Christian.

In spite of the anti-conversion laws in the different parts of India, Arunachal Pradesh is becoming Christian, what is the reason, how is the mission activity of the church?

Revelation is liberating as Jesus said, the truth will set you free. This is believed and lived by the people of Arunachal as we see the growing number of believers in Jesus as years pass by despite the restrictions and opposition. Opposition has been there since Jesus’ time and so it is nothing new. However, every bit has to be taken within its context and impact.

Catholic Church in Itanagar has a unique history. It all began in the early 60s when Late Fr. L Cerato SDB, the parish priest of North Lakhimpur accepted several Apathani boys in his school at North Lakhimpur. He encouraged in a big way admission of Apathani students into various hostels of the diocese. Most of these students who got the opportunity to study outside the state of Arunachal Pradesh came in contact with the Catholic missionaries and were gripped by enthusiasm of the priests and missionaries. These students wanted to get back to tell this good news to their relatives and friends back in their villages. So they got baptized and shared the fire of Catholic faith which they received by being with the missionaries. Likewise Late Archbishop Joseph Mittathany, Most Rev. Arch Bishop Emeritus Thomas Memaparambil, Rev. Fr. Kulandaisamy, Late Bro. Prem Bhai, Most Rev. John Thomas Kattrukudiyial, Rev. Fr. CC Jose SDB etc. are a few to mention whose works were praise worthy. Catechesis, organizational formation, clergy-religious-laity togetherness, etc. become important while thinking of the ways in which we can address the issues in this regard.

How do you envisage your leadership with 90822 Catholics: 27 diocesan priests: 105 religious priests and 170 religious sisters in the missionary diocese of Itanagar?

I am optimistic. As a leader what I want to be is a balanced person of conviction with compassion. I will act with integrity and honestly. The priests, religious and laity will be my strength. There are three values which are very important in the process of decision making namely: Dialogue – share the idea, Participation – share the action and Co-responsibility – share our responsibility.

Many are familiar faces and many more are to be familiar with. It will be a new aspect of my mission to get to know them personally as part of the organizational structure. It is a great blessing that the church in Itanagar Diocese is gifted with Pioneers and freshers in missions. Many missionaries are experts in the culture, language, social dynamics, etc. I have had a glimpse of the lay organization APCA which is commendable in many measures. It’s a matter for me to get along and learn to do things as a leader. I believe and pray that with God’s strength, I can be dutiful and faithful to the mission with the collaboration and networking with the lay faithful, priests, and sisters of the diocese.

What does synodality mean to you?

Synodality is new as a vocabulary but it is old in life as it is a mode of organization in the tribal setup. After the second Vatican Council, we find lots of new changes have taken place. New structures are created.

To mention a few we have the synod of bishops, National conferences of Bishops, Diocesan pastoral council, Parish pastoral council, etc. All these structures are structures of participation. The synodal process is an opportunity to open up, to look around us, and to see things from another point of view. We as a team of the Itanagar diocese will continue to move to the peripheries with missionary outreach.

Participative democracy with space for every individual in a society to be part of the decision-making is a tribal way of functioning. In this context, I see my role in this regard as more of discovering the way it is to be done and if needed, bringing it to the expected level. I assure you that there is a very good all-inclusive participating functioning already happening in the diocese of Itanagar.

How do you pray? What is prayer for you?

It is an interesting question. As it is known to all, as a priest, I am already into a well-structured prayer life related to self, the community, society, etc. It is done and lived at different levels. Let me have a word on my personal prayer, what it is and how it is. Time spent in front of the Blessed Sacrament, in the prayerful reading of the scripture and offering the prayers of the church. Prayer is a union with Jesus for me. It’s an experience of being His Own. It’s finding myself at the sanctuary of the Lord to be sanctified and strengthened. It’s an experience of being rooted and to be fruitful. Talking of being prayerful, my experience, prayer is offering others whom I meet, talk, relate to and entrusted with to be blessed by the Lord. Prayers is an experience of infilling with the sprit and guidance of the Lord, be it in the formal or informal way.

Ordination is a great occasion. Its spiritual depth is very significant for me personally and all who take part in it, especially for the Diocese of Itanagar. Given the situation of the social implications and relevance, the programs are held at mega level in public. I take it as an opportunity to relate to those who are entrusted to me as part of my Episcopal responsibility and shepherding them. The faithful along with the clergy and religious had a series of meetings and have chosen to hold the ordination on 15th October 2023 at 9.00 am at Sacred Heart Parish Church, Pappunallah, Nharlagun – Itanagar. I request you to pray for the diocese of Itanagar.