KOCHI: With prayers in the heart and tears in the eyes, Kochi bade adieu to its own Archbishop on Wednesday.
When the mortal remains of Archbishop Daniel Acharuparambil were taken out of the St Albert’s School grounds in a specially prepared vehicle, people lined up on both the sides of Banerji Road. Shops on the road remained closed in a rare gesture of respect to the departed.
The stretch from the St Albert’s School to the St Francis Assisi Cathedral was literally silent when the vehicle carrying the body passed.
Faithful from various parts of the Archdiocese of Verapoly and Bishops accompanied the procession with prayers.
The mortal remains of Archbishop Acharuparambil was brought to the St Francis Assisi Cathedral Church and buried with full Church and State honours in a specially-prepared crypt under the altar of the Cathedral.
The body, which was kept at the Cathedral Church on Tuesday was shifted to the school ground by 8.30 a.m on Wednesday. The funeral service at a specially-prepared venue on the St Albert’s School ground began at 3.30 p.m.
Thousands of people paid their last respects to their beloved Shepherd until the funeral services began. A condolence message sent by Pope Benedict- XVI was read out during the funeral services.
Also, a message from Cardinal Ivan Dias, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, was also read out during the function.
Cardinal Archbishop of Bombay, Oswald Gracious, was the main celebrant of the Holy Mass celebrated as part of the funeral services.
Syro-Malabar Chruch Major Archbishop Varkey Cardinal Vithayathail, Syro-Malankara Church Major Archbishop Baselios Cleemis and Bishops of all the Catholic dioceses in the State took part in the Mass.
Delivering the commemorative speech, Archbishop of Thiruvananthapuram Sousa Pakiam said that the Latin Catholics community in the State was indebted to Archbishop Acharuparambil.
“It was because of the efforts made by the Archbishop that the Latin community in the State turned into a better organised one. The Kerala Regional Latin Catholic Council (KRLCC), which includes representatives of the Latin dioceses, is the brainchild of Archbishop Acharuparambil,” he said.
“The Archbishop, who was well aware of the relevance of media had also taken the initiative to start the weekly ‘Jeevanadam’, the organ of the community.
However, he believed that the Latin community could not progress by challenging or neglecting the other sections of the society,” Archbishop Susa Pakiam said.
