Ambrose Madtha
| His Excellency Ambrose Madtha | |
|---|---|
| Monsignor | |
| Church | Roman Catholic |
| Installed | 8 May 2008 |
| Term ended | 8 Dec 2012 |
| Predecessor | Mario Roberto Cassari |
| Successor | Joseph Spiteri |
| Orders | |
| Ordination |
28 Mar 1982 by Jean-Louis Tauran |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Ambrose Madtha |
| Born |
2 November 1955 Belthangady, Karnataka, India |
| Died |
8 December 2012 Biankouma, Ivory Coast |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Parents | late Joseph Madtha and late May Madtha |
| Previous post |
Titular Archbishop of Naissus (27 Jul 2008) [1] |
| Education |
Master of Arts(MA) in Economics from Nagpur University[3] |
| Coat of arms |
 |
Monsignor Ambrose Madtha (2 November 1955 – 8 December 2012) was the Roman Catholic archbishop of Naissus and the Nuncio to Ivory Coast.[1] He was the sixth Indian to become an Apostolic Nuncio.
Early life
Ambrose Madtha was born in Belthangady, on 2 November 1955 to Joseph Madtha and Mary Madtha. Joseph Madtha (circa 1917 - 28 January 2007), son of David Madtha and Angeline Madtha was a humble and religious man. He lived a decent life with his wife Mary Madtha [4] near the Most Holy Redeemer Church, Belthangady. He did his schooling at Church Higher Primary School, Belthangady which was very nearer to his home.
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Spiritual Life
Monsignor Amborse Madtha was ordained as a priest on 28 March 1982. He entered diplomatic service in June 1990 and had served apostolic nunciatures in Ghana, El Salvador, Georgia, Albania and Republic of China(Taiwan).[2]
Fr. Ambrose Madtha, a priest of Lucknow diocese, was ordained archbishop on 27 July 2008, two months after his appointment. Around 4,000 people attended the ceremony at St Joseph's Cathedral, Lucknow, capital of Uttar Pradesh state, 500 kilometers southeast of New Delhi. They included a 12-member delegation from Taiwan, where Archbishop Madtha was previously posted as Chargé d'affaires at the Taipei-based Apostolic Nunciature in China.
On 8 May 2008 he became Apostolic Nuncio in the doyen of the Ivorian diplomatic corps after arriving in 2008. On 27 July 2008 he was ordained bishop by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue with Archbishop Albert D'Souza of Agra and Bishop Gerald J. Mathias of Lucknow as co-ordainers. More than 15 bishops from India and abroad joined the ceremony along with 300 priests and 600 nuns. On this occasion the new archbishop Monsignor Ambrose Madtha thanked people in Hindi, English, French and Chinese. Monsignor Ambrose Madtha also speaks Albanian, German, Italian, Kannada, Konkani, Russian and Spanish.[2] Many delegates appreciated Archbishop Madtha's good qualities on the occasion. Sister Theresa Tu Chin Huan, a member of the Taiwan delegation, told Archbishop Madtha is an "efficient and able leader." The Oblates of the Holy Family nun said that during the prelate's time at the Taipei nunciature, Monsignor Ambrose Madtha "stole the hearts of Taiwanese people" with his simplicity, love for people and "down-to-earth nature." Paul Y.M. Lin, who also came from Taiwan, likewise described the archbishop as "a very humble, approachable and peoples´ man," whom every parish or diocese would love to have. The Taiwanese delegation comprised six laypeople, two bishops, two priests and two nuns.[2]
He tried to play a behind-the-scenes mediating role during Ivory Coast’s 2010-11 political crisis when the previous ruler, Laurent Gbagbo, refused to step down even though Alassane Ouattara was declared winner of presidential elections. The Catholic church was put in a delicate position since some of the country’s bishops favoured Laurent Gbagbo, who comes from the country’s majority Christian south. Alassane Ouattara is from the largely Muslim north. Ivory Coast and the Vatican agreed on "the role that the Catholic Church can offer for the good of the country, by encouraging and promoting human rights, dialogue and national reconciliation", the Vatican said in a statement at the time.[5]
When Monsignor Ambrose Madtha, was dean of the Diplomatic Corps in the Ivory Coast, he was committed to finding a peaceful solution to the post-election crisis that out-going President, Laurent Gbagbo opposed, to the current Head of State, Alassane Ouattara. During the attack of the forces of Alassane Ouattara, backed by French troops, the Presidential Residence where Laurent Gbagbo was barricaded, Monsignor Ambrose Madtha remained in the Nunciature, located at 200–330 meters from the palace, where Fides had contacted him. The Ivory Coast had not yet recovered from the political confrontation between the two factions. One of the areas most affected by latent insecurity for the presence of armed groups was precisely the west where Monsignor Ambrose Madtha died. The Nuncio should have celebrated a Mass in Duékoué, a town on the border with Liberia, where during the crisis of 2010-2011 more than 3,000 civilians were massacred. In July 2012 several people were killed in the assault of a refugee camp in Nahibly, at the entrance of Duékoué. The Ivorian press mentioned that Monsignor Ambrose Madtha made a personal commitment on several occasions to come to the aid of refugees welcomed in a Catholic parish and other structures in the area.[6]
Death and funeral
The Apostolic Nuncio in the Ivory Coast, His Excellency Monsignor Ambrose Madtha, died on Saturday, 8 December 2012 in a car accident in the west of the Ivory Coast. The car carrying Mgr. Madtha was involved in an accident on the road Man - Biankouma. The Nuncio was returning to Man, where he spent the night, from the village of Odienné, where he presided over a Mass. The driver was also killed in the accident while the secretary and a religious woman are slightly wounded. The bishops are gathered for a special Episcopal Conference and after its conclusion the date of the Nuncio’s funeral was notified. The body of Monsignor Ambrose Madtha arrived on Sunday, 9 December 2012, at the seat of the Archbishopric in Abidjan.
The family of Monsignor Ambrose Madtha and the parish priest of Belthangady parish, where Monsignor Ambrose Madtha belonged, sent an official request to the Apostolic Nunciature to India about their interest to perform the final rites at Most Holy Redeemer Church, Belthangady.[7] So the mortal remains of Monsignor Ambrose Madtha, who died in a road accident in Ivory Coast, were brought to Belthangady. The body was brought to Mangalore by a special flight from Ivory Coast at around 1 pm on 15 December 2012, after a delay of about 24 hours due to a technical snag in the flight at Ethiopia. A public homage that was scheduled at Mangalore on Friday 13 December had to be cancelled due to the delay in flight. A requiem Mass was offered at Rosario Cathedral by the Nuncio the same evening. On 15 December 2012 the remains of papal envoy to Ivory Coast were laid to rest at the Most Holy Redeemer Church, Belthangady, amidst a gathering of nearly 3,500 people. Monsignor Ambrose Madtha's remains were laid to rest inside the Church premises next to the Altar. The funeral Mass was led by Apostolic Nuncio to India Salvatore Pennacchio with bishop of Mangalore Dr Aloysius Paul D'Souza as the concelebrant. Auxiliary bishop of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Delhi Dr Franco Mulakkal read out the message by Pope Benedict XVI. In the message, the Pope said that as an Archbishop, Ambrose Madtha had put in good efforts to promote peace and unity. "We have lost a gem of a person. The Church has lost a good ambassador," the message stated. Ivory Coast minister of social affairs Anne Desiree Oulopo, president of Episcopal Conference Dr Alexis Touabli Youlo and Archbishop of Abidjan Dr. Jean-Pierre Kutwa were among the delegates present. Bishop Lawrence Mukkuzhy from Diocese of Belthangady, Bishop Dr. Oswald Lewis from Diocese of Jaipur, Bishop Dr. Gerald Isaac Lobo from Diocese of Udupi, Bishop Dr. Anthony Swamy from Diocese of Chikmagalur, Bishop Geevarghese Mar Divannasios of Diocese of Puttur, were among the other bishops present. Oscar Fernandes and his wife Blossom, MLA Vasanth Bangera and others paid their last respects together with around 3,500 priests, nuns and laity.[8]
See also
- Most Holy Redeemer Church, Belthangady
- Belthangady
- Church Higher Primary School, Belthangady
- St. Theresa High School, Belthangady
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Mangalore
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Archbishop Ambrose Madtha". catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 "New Papal Envoy To Ivory Coast Carries Message Of Peace From India". catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
- 1 2 3 "Rome: Msgr Ambrose Madtha Appointed Apostolic Nuncio of Ivory Coast". daijiworld. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
- ↑ "Archbishop Ambrose Madtha". geni. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
- ↑ "Archbishop Ambrose Madtha Dies in Accident in Ivory Coast". daijiworld. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
- ↑ "AFRICA/COTE D'IVOIRE - The tragic death of the Apostolic Nuncio in the Ivory Coast, Mgr. Madtha, a man of peace". Vatican media sources. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
- ↑ "Archbishop Ambrose Madtha's Mortal Remains to be Brought to City". daijiworld. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
- ↑ "Belthangady: Thousands Bid Tearful Adieu to Archbishop Dr Ambrose Madtha". catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 28 September 2015.