Cornelius Elanjikal D.D. Ph.D. DC.L. (8 September 1918 – 7 August 2011) was an Indian

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pref ...

of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Life Sketch

He was born in Elanjikal family in ''Kara'', a small hamlet near

Kodungallur Kodungallur (; also Cranganore, Portuguese: Cranganor; formerly known as Mahodayapuram, Shingly, Vanchi, Muchiri, Muyirikkode, and Muziris) is a historically significant town situated on the banks of river Periyar on the Malabar Coast in Thr ...

Thrissur Thrissur (), formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the third largest urban agglomeration in Kerala after Kochi and Kozhikode, and t ...

District,

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

on 8 September 1987 to Kunjavira and Thressia. He had his early schooling in Mount Carmel School and St Albert's High School, Ernakulam. He completed his pastoral studies at St. Joseph's Pontifical Seminary, Mangalappuzha and obtained his

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

Theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

on the subject ''Transformation in dependence of God with special reference to Brihadaranyaka and Chandokya Upanishads'' and

Doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...

Canon Law Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...

from

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. He was ordained a priest on 18 March 1945. Elanjikal was appointed on 16 January 1971 to the

Diocese of Vijayapuram The Roman Catholic Diocese of Vijayapuram ( la, Viiayapuramen(sis)) is a diocese located in the city of Kottayam in the Ecclesiastical province of Verapoly in India. History The Diocese of Vijayapuram was established on 14 July 1930 from the M ...

and was consecrated bishop on 4 April 1971. Elanjikal was appointed to the

Diocese of Verapoly The Archdiocese of Verapoly (Verapolitana) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church, composed of Latin Catholics of Malabar and headquartered at the city of Cochin, in the south Indian state of Kerala. Th ...

on 26 January 1987. He also served as the President of Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC). He retired from active service on 14 June 1996. Bishop Elanjikal was a prolific writer who had 10 books and more than 500 Christian devotional songs to his credit. He was also known to be well-versed in Hindu Theology and Vedas. His most famous book was ''Concept of God in

Upanishads The Upanishads (; sa, उपनिषद् ) are late Vedic Sanskrit texts that supplied the basis of later Hindu philosophy.Wendy Doniger (1990), ''Textual Sources for the Study of Hinduism'', 1st Edition, University of Chicago Press, , ...

''. He was known to be actively involved in social activities and initiated several welfare programs for the

Dalits Dalit (from sa, दलित, dalita meaning "broken/scattered"), also previously known as untouchable, is the lowest stratum of the castes in India. Dalits were excluded from the four-fold varna system of Hinduism and were seen as forming ...

and the poor living in the coastal areas of central Kerala. He has portrayed his life in his autobiography, ''Mangaatha Smaranakal'' (Unfading Memories) He died on 7 October 2011, aged 93, at a private hospital in

Ernakulam Ernakulam () is the Central Business District of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Many major establishments, including the Kerala High Court, the office of the Kochi Municipal Corporation a ...

succumbing to respiratory ailments.

References

External links

Catholic-HierarchyVerapoly Diocese
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AnnouncementList of Popular Songson New Indian Express Daily
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elanjikal, Cornelius 1918 births 2011 deaths People from Thrissur district 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in India