Welcome to our special program on the Year of Faith, THE FAITHFUL WITNESS, a series
on the lives of Inspiring People and Witnesses of faith in the Catholic Church from
around the world. These are people who lived their ordinary lives in extraordinary
ways. They are examples of great fortitude and virtue. Their unique stories inspire
us to be rooted in our faith. God calls each one of us today to inspire our brothers
and sisters and to be witnesses of our faith. The Faithful Witness of this week
is Cardinal Telesphore Toppo. He is the Cardinal-Archbishop of Ranchi Archdiocese
in the Eastern Indian state of Jharkhand, and is the first Oraon Adivasi (tribal)
Indian Cardinal. As a priest, bishop and Cardinal living and working among the mostly
Tribal people, he faced many challenges in his life and mission. xxx Our
Faithful Witness of today, Cardinal Telesphore Toppo from India shares with us his
faith experiences, inspirations, and the challenges he faced in his life and mission.
Cardinal, we are very happy to have you with us today. A very hearty welcome to you
to Vatican Radio. Listen: Tell us who
inspired you to take this faithful journey – your vocation to priesthood? In a
sense, even before you were ordained a priest, you were sharing your faith in a dramatic
way! In this year of faith, what is your message to Christians in India or in Asia?
Thank
you Cardinal. That was Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, Cardinal-Archbishop of Ranchi Archdiocese,
India sharing his faith experiences. xxx You have been listening to
THE FAITHFUL WITNESS our weekly series based on the lives of Inspiring People and
Witnesses of faith in the Catholic Church from around the world. Our faithful witness
today has been Cardinal Telesphore Toppo from India. If you have a faith experience
to share with us, let us know. Visit our website radiovaticana.va. This program is
brought to you by Vatican Radio’s English Service for South Asia.By P.J. Joseph
SJ FRIDAY, 10 May 2013