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As India prepares to welcome its newest saint, a controversy over his name and its relationship with the Hindu caste system has come to the fore.
A Vatican decree announced a miracle had been approved for Blessed Devasahayam, clearing the way for his canonization.
However, when Devasahayam was declared a Blessed in 2012, the name used was Devasahayam Pillai.
The discrepancy is due to protests that Devasahayam allegedly never used Pillai – which signified his caste – after his conversion from Hinduism in 1745.
After his conversion, Devasahayam suffered severe harassment and persecution – including beatings and imprisonment – until he was finally shot and killed in 1752. His body is now at Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral in the Diocese of Kottar.
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