->Rathfelder at 20:22, 5 April 2021

2021-04-05T20:22:40Z

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{{short description|20th and 21st-century Indian Catholic archbishop}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
|type = [[Nuncio]]
|honorific-prefix = [[Excellency|His Excellency]]
|name = Ambrose Madtha
|image =
|term_start = 8 May 2008
|term_end = 8 Dec 2012
|predecessor = [[Mario Roberto Cassari]]
|native_name_lang = [[Konkani]]
|church = [[Roman Catholic]]
|successor = [[Joseph Spiteri]]
|ordination = 28 March 1982
|ordained_by =[[Jean-Louis Tauran]]
|title =Apostolic Nuncio to Ivory Coast
|other_post = Titular Archbishop of [[Naissus]]
|birth_name = Ambrose Madtha
|birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1955|11|02}}
|birth_place = [[Belthangady]], [[Karnataka]], India
|parents = Joseph Madtha and May Madtha
|residence =
|nationality = Indian
|education = {{unbulleted list |[[Nagpur University]]|[[Lucknow University]]|[[Pontifical Urban University]]}}
|religion =[[Roman Catholic]]
|death_date = {{Death date|2012|12|08|df=yes}}
|death_place = [[Biankouma]], [[Ivory Coast]]
|previous_post =
|motto =
|signature =
|coat_of_arms = Coat of arms of Ambrose Madtha.svg
}}

'''Ambrose Madtha''' (2 November 1955 – 8 December 2012) was the [[Roman Catholic]] [[archbishop]] and the [[Nuncio]] to [[Ivory Coast]]. He was the sixth Indian to become an [[Apostolic Nuncio]].

== Early life ==
[[File:Most Holy Redeemer Church (Beltangady) Old.jpg|thumb|Old [[Most Holy Redeemer Church, Belthangady|church]] structure where Madtha used to go for masses.]]
Ambrose Madtha was born in [[Belthangady]], on 2 November 1955 to Joseph Madtha and Mary Madtha. Joseph Madtha (circa 1917 - 28 January 2007), son of David Madtha and Angeline Madtha was a humble and religious man. He lived a decent life with his wife Mary Madtha<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.geni.com/people/Archbishop-Ambrose-Madtha/6000000023793497883 |title=Archbishop Ambrose Madtha |publisher= geni |accessdate=28 September 2015}}</ref> near the [[Most Holy Redeemer Church, Belthangady]]. He did his schooling at [[Church Higher Primary School, Belthangady]] which was near his home.

== Career ==
Madtha was ordained as a priest on 28 March 1982. He earned a Master of Arts in economics from [[Nagpur University]], a Bachelor of Education degree from [[Lucknow University]], and a doctorate in canon law from the [[Pontifical Urban University]].<ref name=appointed/>

He entered diplomatic service in June 1990 and served apostolic nunciatures in [[Ghana]], [[El Salvador]], [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[Albania]] and [[Republic of China]] (Taiwan).<ref name=Papal-Envoy-To-Ivory-Coast /> Madtha was ordained archbishop on 27 July 2008, two months after his appointment. Around 4,000 people attended the ceremony at St Joseph's Cathedral, [[Lucknow]], capital of [[Uttar Pradesh]] state, 500 kilometers southeast of New Delhi. They included a 12-member delegation from [[Taiwan]], where Madtha was previously posted as [[Chargé d'affaires]] at the [[List of Apostolic Nuncios to China|Taipei-based Apostolic Nunciature in China]].

On 8 May 2008 Madtha was named [[Apostolic Nuncio]] to the Ivory Coast.<ref>{{cite press release |language=it | url = http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2008/05/08/0305/00708.html |title= Rinunce e Nomine, 08.05.2008| date= 8 May 2008| access-date = 6 July 2019 | publisher = Holy See Press Office }}</ref> On 27 July 2008 he was ordained bishop by [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|Cardinal]] [[Jean-Louis Tauran]], president of the [[Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue]] with Archbishop Albert D'Souza of Agra and Bishop Gerald J. Mathias of Lucknow as co-ordainers. More than 15 bishops from India and abroad joined the ceremony along with 300 priests and 600 nuns. On this occasion the new archbishop Madtha thanked people in [[Hindi]], English, French and Chinese. Madtha also speaks [[Albanian language|Albanian]], German, Italian, [[Kannada]], [[Konkani]], Russian and Spanish.<ref name=Papal-Envoy-To-Ivory-Coast />

Madtha tried to play a behind-the-scenes mediating role during [[Ivory Coast]]’s [[2010–11 Ivorian crisis|2010-11 political crisis]] when the previous ruler, [[Laurent Gbagbo]], refused to step down even though [[Alassane Ouattara]] was declared winner of presidential elections. The Catholic church was put in a delicate position since some of the country’s bishops favoured [[Laurent Gbagbo]], who comes from the country’s majority Christian south. [[Alassane Ouattara]] is from the largely Muslim north. Ivory Coast and the Vatican agreed on "the role that the Catholic Church can offer for the good of the country, by encouraging and promoting human rights, dialogue and national reconciliation", the Vatican said in a statement at the time.<ref name=Ambrose-Madtha-Dies-in-Accident />

Madtha was committed to finding a peaceful solution to the post-election crisis that out-going President, [[Laurent Gbagbo]] opposed, to the current head of state, [[Alassane Ouattara]]. During the attack of the forces of Alassane Ouattara, backed by [[French forces|French troops]], the Presidential Residence where [[Laurent Gbagbo]] was barricaded, Madtha remained in the [[Nunciature]], located at 200–330 meters from the palace, where [[Agenzia Fides|Fides]] had contacted him. The Ivory Coast had not yet recovered from the political confrontation between the two factions. One of the areas most affected by latent insecurity for the presence of armed groups was precisely the west where Madtha died. He was to celebrate a Mass in [[Duékoué]], a town on the border with [[Liberia]], where during the crisis of 2010-2011 more than 3,000 civilians were massacred. In July 2012 several people were killed in the assault of a refugee camp in Nahibly, at the entrance of [[Duékoué]]. The Ivorian press mentioned that Madtha made a personal commitment on several occasions to come to the aid of refugees welcomed in a Catholic parish and other structures in the area.<ref name=Msgr-Ambrose-Madtha-Accident-Vatican />

== Death and funeral ==
Madtha died on 8 December 2012 in a car accident in the west of the Ivory Coast. The car carrying Madtha was involved in an accident on the [[Man, Ivory Coast|Man]] - [[Biankouma]] road. He was returning to Man, where he spent the night, from the village of Odienné, where he presided over a Mass. The driver was also killed in the accident while the secretary and a religious woman were slightly wounded. His body arrived on 9 December in [[Abidjan]].

Madtha's family and the parish priest of Belthangady parish, where Madtha belonged, sent an official request to the [[Apostolic Nunciature to India]] about their interest to perform the final rites at [[Most Holy Redeemer Church, Belthangady]],<ref name=Ambrose-Madtha-Mortal-Remains /> which was granted. The body was brought to [[Mangalore]] by a special flight from Ivory Coast on 15 December 2012. A requiem Mass was offered at [[Rosario Cathedral]] that evening. On 15 December Madtha's remains were buried next to the altar with nearly 3,500 people in attendance. The funeral Mass was led by the Apostolic Nuncio to India, [[Salvatore Pennacchio]] with bishop of [[Mangalore]] [[Aloysius Paul D'Souza]] as the concelebrant. [[Auxiliary bishop]] of [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Delhi|Delhi]] Franco Mulakkal read a message from [[Pope Benedict XVI]]. Ivory Coast minister of social affairs Anne Desiree Oulopo, president of [[Episcopal Conference]] Alexis Touabli Youlo and Archbishop of [[Abidjan]] [[Jean-Pierre Kutwa|Dr. Jean-Pierre Kutwa]] attended, as did several bishops. [[Oscar Fernandes]] and his wife Blossom, [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|MLA]] Vasanth Bangera and others paid their respects as well.<ref name=Thousands-Bid-Tearful />

== References ==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em|refs=
<ref name=Papal-Envoy-To-Ivory-Coast>
{{cite news
|url=http://www.ucanews.com/story-archive/?post_id=48929
|title=New Papal Envoy To Ivory Coast Carries Message Of Peace From India
|publisher= catholic-hierarchy.org
|accessdate=28 September 2015
}}</ref>

<ref name=Thousands-Bid-Tearful>
{{cite news
|url=http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=158302
|title=Belthangady: Thousands Bid Tearful Adieu to Archbishop Dr Ambrose Madtha
|publisher= catholic-hierarchy.org
|accessdate=28 September 2015
}}</ref>

<ref name=Ambrose-Madtha-Dies-in-Accident>
{{cite news
|url=http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=157823
|title=Archbishop Ambrose Madtha Dies in Accident in Ivory Coast
|publisher=daijiworld
|accessdate=28 September 2015
}}</ref>

<ref name=Msgr-Ambrose-Madtha-Accident-Vatican>
{{cite news
|url=http://www.news.va/en/news/africacote-divoire-the-tragic-death-of-the-apostol
|title=AFRICA/COTE D'IVOIRE - The tragic death of the Apostolic Nuncio in the Ivory Coast, Mgr. Madtha, a man of peace
|publisher=Vatican media sources
|accessdate=28 September 2015
}}</ref>

<ref name=Ambrose-Madtha-Mortal-Remains>
{{cite news
|url=http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=158061
|title=Archbishop Ambrose Madtha's Mortal Remains to be Brought to City
|publisher=daijiworld
|accessdate=28 September 2015
}}</ref>

<ref name=appointed>
{{cite news
|url=http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=46503
|title=Rome: Msgr Ambrose Madtha Appointed Apostolic Nuncio of Ivory Coast
|publisher=daijiworld
|accessdate=28 September 2015
}}</ref>

}}

==External links==
* [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bmadtha.html Catholic Hierarchy: Archbishop Ambrose Madtha]

{{Authority control}}

{{subject bar|portal1=India|portal2=Biography|portal3=Catholicism|portal4=Christianity|portal6=Vatican City}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Madtha, Ambrose}}
[[Category:1955 births]]
[[Category:21st-century Roman Catholic titular archbishops]]
[[Category:Catholic Church in Ivory Coast]]
[[Category:Christian humanists]]
[[Category:2012 deaths]]
[[Category:Apostolic Nuncios to Ivory Coast]]
[[Category:Indian Roman Catholic archbishops]]
[[Category:Road incident deaths in Ivory Coast]]

Ambrose Madtha - Revision history

->Rathfelder at 20:22, 5 April 2021