Bernard Blasius Moras
Encyclopedia
Bernard Blasius Moras is an India
n prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
, currently serving as Archbishop of Bangalore
.
Born in Kuppepadavu, Mangalore
, Karnataka
, he was ordained
to the priesthood
on December 6, 1967. During his priestly ministry, he was very involved with health care
.
On November 30, 1996, Moras was appointed Bishop
of Belgaum by Pope John Paul II
. He received his episcopal ordination
on February 25, 1997 from Cardinal Simon Pimenta
, with Bishops Aloysius D'Souza and Ignatius Pinto serving as co-consecrators
. The Bishop chose as his episcopal motto
: "In Thee We Hope–Mary
Our Mother."
Moras was later named Archbishop of Bangalore
on July 22, 2004, being installed as such on the following September 17. The installation, attended by no less than three cardinals
, was held under tightened security, as Catholic Kannadigas
have been insistent upon having a bishop from their own community to the point of violence.
Pope Benedict XVI
bestowed the pallium
, a wool
en garment reserved to metropolitan archbishops
, upon him on June 29, 2005. In 2006, Moras condemned Dan Brown
's novel The Da Vinci Code
as "vicious" and "diabolic". He called all Christians to boycott
the film version
, which he requested of the Indian film board
to be banned from the country.
Archbishop Moras also chairs the Pastoral Commission for Health of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India
and is the Ecclesiastical Advisor to the Catholic Health Association of India
.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, currently serving as Archbishop of Bangalore
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bangalore
The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Bangalore is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in India. It was erected as the Diocese of Bangalore on February 13, 1940 by Pope Pius XII, and elevated to the rank of a metropolitan archdiocese on September 19, 1953,...
.
Born in Kuppepadavu, Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
, Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, he was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
on December 6, 1967. During his priestly ministry, he was very involved with health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
.
On November 30, 1996, Moras was appointed Bishop
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
of Belgaum by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
. He received his episcopal ordination
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on February 25, 1997 from Cardinal Simon Pimenta
Simon Pimenta
Simon Pimenta is a Roman Catholic Cardinal and a retired Archbishop of Bombay .Pimenta was ordained on 21 December 1949. Before coming to Rome to study at the Pontifical College of St. Peter the Apostle, he served as assistant parish priest in Bombay and worked with the Bombay Curia...
, with Bishops Aloysius D'Souza and Ignatius Pinto serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
. The Bishop chose as his episcopal motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
: "In Thee We Hope–Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
Our Mother."
Moras was later named Archbishop of Bangalore
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bangalore
The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Bangalore is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in India. It was erected as the Diocese of Bangalore on February 13, 1940 by Pope Pius XII, and elevated to the rank of a metropolitan archdiocese on September 19, 1953,...
on July 22, 2004, being installed as such on the following September 17. The installation, attended by no less than three cardinals
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
, was held under tightened security, as Catholic Kannadigas
Kannadigas
Kannadiga , or Kannadati is a reference to the people who natively speak the Kannada language. Kannadigas are mainly located in the state of Karnataka in India and in the neighboring states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and Maharashtra...
have been insistent upon having a bishop from their own community to the point of violence.
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
bestowed the pallium
Pallium
The pallium is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Roman Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the Pope, but for many centuries bestowed by him on metropolitans and primates as a symbol of the jurisdiction delegated to them by the Holy See. In that context it has always remained unambiguously...
, a wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
en garment reserved to metropolitan archbishops
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
, upon him on June 29, 2005. In 2006, Moras condemned Dan Brown
Dan Brown
Dan Brown is an American author of thriller fiction, best known for the 2003 bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code. Brown's novels, which are treasure hunts set in a 24-hour time period, feature the recurring themes of cryptography, keys, symbols, codes, and conspiracy theories...
's novel The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code
The Da Vinci Code is a 2003 mystery-detective novel written by Dan Brown. It follows symbologist Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu as they investigate a murder in Paris's Louvre Museum and discover a battle between the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei over the possibility of Jesus having been married to...
as "vicious" and "diabolic". He called all Christians to boycott
Boycott
A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
the film version
The Da Vinci Code (film)
The Da Vinci Code is a 2006 American mystery thriller film directed by Ron Howard. The screenplay was written by Akiva Goldsman and based on Dan Brown's worldwide bestselling 2003 novel, The Da Vinci Code...
, which he requested of the Indian film board
Central Board of Film Certification
The Central Board of Film Certification is a Government of India regulatory body and censorship board of India controlled by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It reviews, rates and censors motion pictures, television shows, television ads, and promotional material...
to be banned from the country.
Archbishop Moras also chairs the Pastoral Commission for Health of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India
Catholic Bishops' Conference of India
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India is the episcopal conference of the Catholic bishops of India. It was first convened in September 1944, in Madras . Currently the CBCI has 212 members and 38 honorary members, and is headquartered in New Delhi, the capital of India...
and is the Ecclesiastical Advisor to the Catholic Health Association of India
Catholic Health Association of India
Catholic Health Association of India is currently the world's largest non governmental organization in the health services sector, and is in existence since 1943...
.