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{{short description|Indian prelate of the Catholic Church (born 1948)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2018}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| honorific-prefix = Most Reverend
| name = Felix Anthony Machado
| honorific-suffix =
| title = [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Vasai|Bishop Emeritus of Vasai]]
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| archdiocese = [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bombay|Mumbai]]
| diocese = [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Vasai|Vasai]]
| appointed = 19 December 2009
| enthroned =
| ended = 6 June 2024
| predecessor = Thomas Dabre
| successor = ''Thomas D'Souza''
| ordination = 30 October 1976
| ordained_by =
| consecration = 8 March 2008
| consecrated_by = [[Oswald Cardinal Gracias]]
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1948|6|6|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Vasai]] [[Mumbai]] [[India]]
| death_date =
| death_place =
| buried =
| nationality = [[India]]n
| religion = [[Roman Catholic]]
| residence =
| parents =
| spouse =
| children =
| occupation =
| previous_post =
| profession =
| alma_mater =
| signature =
| coat_of_arms =
| motto = Peace And Harmony
}}
'''Felix Anthony Machado''' (born 6 June 1948) is an Indian prelate of the Catholic Church who was Archbishop of Vasai since 2009 to 2024. He spent a decade in the [[Roman Curia]] as under-secretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

== Biography ==
He was born on 6 June 1948 in [[Vasai]], [[Maharashtra]], [[India]]. He was ordained a priest on 30 October 1976 for the Diocese of Bombay.<ref name=ucan/> His family relations include both Christians and Hindus; one of his cousins was among the founders of the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]], the principal force behind contemporary Hindu nationalism.<ref name=crux2019/> He was [[Incardination and excardination|incardinated]] in the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Vasai|Diocese of Vasai]] on 22 May 1998.<ref name=ucan>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ucanindia.in/diocesan-directory/indian/bishop/felix-anthony-machado/75|title=Felix Anthony Machado |website= UCAN India |access-date=12 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170812173322/http://www.ucanindia.in/diocesan-directory/indian/bishop/felix-anthony-machado/75|archive-date=12 August 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

He studied philosophy at the [[Catholic University of Lyon]] and lived in the ecumenical community of [[Taizé]] in France for seven years, spending one of those years as a volunteer in a refugee camp in [[Bangladesh]]. He then earned a master's degree in theology at [[Maryknoll|Maryknoll Seminary]] in New York and a doctorate from [[Fordham University]].<ref name=crux2019>{{cite web| website = Crux | access-date = 24 September 2019 | url = https://cruxnow.com/church-in-asia/2019/09/24/indian-prelate-urges-dialogue-with-hindus-over-forced-conversion/ | date = 24 September 2019 | title = Indian prelate urges dialogue with Hindus over ‘forced conversion’ | first = John L. | last = Allen Jr. }}</ref>

Machado served from 1999 to 2008 as under-secretary of the [[Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue]]. In that position he helped organize the interreligious prayer service held in Assisi in 2002.<ref name=crux2019/>

[[Pope Benedict XVI]] gave him the personal title of [[Archbishop ad personam|archbishop]] and named him head of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Nashik|Diocese of Nashik]] on 16 January 2008.<ref name=pr2008>{{cite press release | access-date = 25 September 2019 | date= 16 January 2008 | url = http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2008/01/16/0028/00067.html | language = it | publisher = [[Holy See Press Office]] | title = Rinunce e Nomine, 16.01.2008}}</ref> He received his episcopal consecration on 8 March 2008 from Cardinal [[Oswald Gracias]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Archbishop of Vasai Diocese Felix Anthony Machado |url=https://www.ucanews.com/directory/bishops/archbishop-anthony-machado/110 |access-date= |website=UCA News}}</ref> When he first heard of the [[2008 Mumbai attacks|2008 bombings in Mumbai]], when the attackers were still unidentified, he said: "We do not have to be superficial by saying that it is all about religion. The situation is extremely complex. Sometimes these tragedies are given faces and names, but we have to go deeper in our analysis of the causes."<ref>{{cite web | access-date = 25 September 2019 | url = https://www.agensir.it/quotidiano/2008/11/27/carnage-in-india-mgr-machado-bishop-of-nashik-stop-the-chain-of-violence/ | title = Carnage in India: Mgr Machado (Bishop of Nashik), 'Stop the Chain of Violence' | website = [[AgenSir]] | date= 27 November 2008}}</ref>

Pope Benedict transferred him to [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Vasai|Vasai]] on 10 November 2009,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://directory.ucanews.com/bishops/archbishop-anthony-machado/110|title=Archbishop Felix Anthony Machado |website= UCA News|access-date=12 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170812172620/http://directory.ucanews.com/bishops/archbishop-anthony-machado/110|archive-date=12 August 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/Vasai-gets-new-Bishop-Rev.-Felix-Machado-takes-over/article16854159.ece|title=Vasai gets new Bishop; Rev. Felix Machado takes over|work=The Hindu|access-date=12 August 2017|language=en}}</ref> and he was installed there on 19 December.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-vasai-gets-new-bishop-rev-felix-machado-takes-over-1325396|title=Vasai gets new Bishop; Rev Felix Machado takes over |date=19 December 2009|work=dna|access-date=12 August 2017|language=en-US}}</ref>

He chairs the Office for Interreligious Dialogue of the Federation of Asian (Catholic) Bishops' Conferences (FABC); and Office for Interreligious Dialogue of the [[Catholic Bishops' Conference of India]] (CBCI).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.kaiciid.org/who-we-are/governance/archbishop-felix-machado|title=Archbishop Felix Machado|date=6 April 2016|work=KAICIID|access-date=12 August 2017|language=en|archive-date=12 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170812211302/https://www.kaiciid.org/who-we-are/governance/archbishop-felix-machado|url-status=dead}}</ref> He has developed a good working relationship with the Sikh community<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://cruxnow.com/commentary/2016/11/17/indian-archbishop-praises-sikhs-major-religious-festival/|title=Indian archbishop praises Sikhs on major religious festival|date=17 November 2016|first=Felix|last=Machado|work=Crux|access-date=12 August 2017|language=en-US|archive-date=27 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181027185808/https://cruxnow.com/commentary/2016/11/17/indian-archbishop-praises-sikhs-major-religious-festival/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and advocates dialogue with Hindus to ease their concerns about conversions to Christianity.<ref name=crux2019/> He has repeatedly denied that conversions are ever involuntary; as early as 2000 in a meeting at the Vatican, he challenged Indian Prime Minister [[Atal Behari Vajpayee]] to identify a specific instance of forced conversion.<ref>{{cite web | website = UCA News | access-date = 25 September 2019 | url = https://www.ucanews.com/story-archive/?post_name=/2008/05/12/church-leaders-dispute-hindu-claim-on-mass-conversion-of-christians&post_id=29755 | title = Church Leaders Dispute Hindu Claim On Mass Conversion Of Christians | date = 12 May 2008 }}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links ==
{{wikiquote}}

*{{Cite web|url=http://www.santegidio.org/pageID/11712/langID/en/text/1852/Intervento-di-Felix-Anthony-Machado.html|title=Speech of Felix Anthony Machado, Assisi 2016 - Thirst for Peace |publisher = Saint Egidio |language=en-GB}}
* {{Cite web | publisher = Vatican Radio | first= Felix | last = Machado |url=http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/10/26/ab_machados_asian_perspective_on_nostra_aetate_anniversary/1181570|title=AB Machado: a personal perspective on Nostra Aetate anniversary|access-date=12 August 2017|language=en}}

{{Subject bar |portal1= Biography |portal2= Catholicism |portal3= India}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Machado, Felix Anthony}}
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops in India]]
[[Category:Christian clergy from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Officials of the Roman Curia]]

Felix Anthony Machado - Revision history

115.99.129.92 at 12:16, 1 August 2025