Archbishop Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal of Trivandrum, spiritual leader of the Eastern Catholic Church, was attending the Synod of Bishops on the new evangelization when the pope announced Oct. 24 he would make the archbishop and five other churchmen cardinals in late November.
Wearing a typical bishops' black cassock and magenta sash, the cardinal-designate stood out from the synod crowd of bishops because of his masanapsa -- a gold-trimmed black hood marked with white crosses.
Addressing the synod Oct. 13, he focused on the need for the church to give a practical witness of Gospel values and to ensure that its liturgies are true experiences of prayer.
"Our dear Blessed Mother Teresa of Kolkata brought to the world, especially to India, a very practical means of evangelization: a witnessing model," he said. "She became the most effective missionary in a land where Christians are only less than 3 percent of the population. Mother Teresa witnessed Jesus everywhere," he said, telling synod members that encouraging Catholics to be witnesses must begin with "you and me."
The cardinal-designate also told the synod that Jesus' promise of abundant life places an obligation on Christians to defend human life, human dignity and human rights.