Archbishop Joji of Hyderabad laid to rest

The Archbishop of Hyderabad, Rev. Marampudi Joji, died Friday of a heart attack. The 68-year old archbishop had been ailing for some time.

Rev. Joji's body was laid to rest at the cemetery in Gunadala shrine, Vijaywada, yesterday after a service attended by thousands.

Joji, who was consecrated as Archbishop of Hyderabad on January 29, 2000, died after a cardiac arrest in Secunderabad. As a mark of respect, all Catholic educational institutions in the state were closed on Saturday.

The Archbishop's mortal remains were kept at St Mary's Church, Secunderabad, for the public to pay their last respect.

Apart from his priestly ministry, Joji was a champion of the Dalit rights and constantly worked for the poor and marginalised.

As the Archbishop of Hyderabad, Joji worked for the welfare of entire Christians and represented their concerns to the government.

One of the first Dalits to become an Archbishop, Joji served as the General Secretary to the Andhra Pradesh Bishops' Council (APBC) and the Executive Vice-President of the Andhra Pradesh Federation of Churches (APFC) which is a state level ecumenical body of major Christian Denominations.

Paying tributes, the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) said Archbishop Joji always "extended his wholehearted support for the cause of the persecuted for their faith in Christ and was of great strength and inspiration".