Ivory Coast Nuncio's funeral in Mangalore

December 15, 2012: The mortal remains of papal envoy to Ivory Coast, Archbishop Ambrose Madtha, who was killed in an accident at Ivory Coast last week, arrived at India’s Mangalore International Airport here on Saturday December 15.

The body was reached Mangalore by a special flight from Ivory Coast at around 1 pm, after a delay of about 24 hours due to a technical snag in the flight at Ethiopia. Apostolic Nuncio of India Salvatore Pennacchio, Bangalore Archbishop Dr Bernard Moras, Bishop Dr Aloysius Paul D'Souza of Mangalore, Bishop Dr Henry D'Souza of Bellary and a number of other priests received the mortal remains at the airport.

Bishops and foreign minister of Ivory Coast accompanied the body. A short prayer service was held before the ambulance left the premises.

An entourage of around 15 vehicles with bishops, priests and other officials accompanied the ambulance from Mangalore Airport to Beltangady where the last rites will be held. Tight police security was deployed.

A public homage that was scheduled at Mangalore on Friday December 13 had to be cancelled due to the delay in flight. A requiem Mass was offered at Rosario Cathedral by the Nuncio the same evening.

Archbishop Madtha was born in 1955 to the late May and Joseph Madtha. He did his seminary studies in St Charles Seminary, Nagpur and obtained doctorate in Canon Law from Urban University in Rome.

He was ordained a priest in 1982. He became the doyen of the Ivorian diplomatic corps after arriving in 2008.