Poola Anthony, Hyderabad Archbishop, 1st Telugu to be elevated as Cardinal by Pope Francis

HYDERABAD: Pope Francis on Sunday appointed Hyderabad

Archbishop Poola Anthony

as a new

Cardinal

from India. He will be the first Telugu in the history of the

Catholic Church

to be given the title and will also be a member of the papal conclave to elect the Pope.

A native of Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh, Bishop Poola Anthony, 60, was anointed Archbishop of Hyderabad in January 2021. On Sunday, the

Pope

announced 21 new Cardinals worldwide, including two from India.

On August 27, the Pope will hold a consistory in Vatican City to create new Cardinals. Currently, the College of Cardinals comprises 208 Cardinals, of whom 117 are electors and 91 non-electors. Now, it will swell to 229 Cardinals, of whom 131 will be electors.

Archbishop Anthony among 2 papal appointments in India
From Asia, six new cardinals were appointed on Sunday and two from India — Archbishop of Goa and Damao, Filipe Neri Antonio Sebastiao do Rosário Ferrao, and Archbishop of Hyderabad Anthony Poola. Archbishop Anthony was ordained a priest in February 1992 and appointed bishop of Kurnool in February 2008.

Born in Chindukur village in Kurnool district, Anthony joined the minor seminary in Kurnool and then studied at St. Peter’s pontifical major seminary in Bengaluru. He served as chairman of Youth Commission, AP Social Service Society, SC/BC Commission, secretary-general and treasurer of Telugu Catholic Bishops Conference.

Poola will continue to serve as archbishop of Hyderabad with a jurisdiction straddling Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Medchal and surrounding districts of Hyderabad. Also, the archdiocese influences the Diocese of Adilabad, Kadapa, Khammam, Kurnool, Nalgonda and Warangal.

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