Devasahayam Pillai becomes 1st Indian layman to be declared saint by Pope
Vatican City, May 15: Devasahayam Pillai, who embraced Christianity in the 18th century, on Sunday became the first Indian layman to be declared a saint by Pope Francis who used the impressive canonisation ceremony here to renew his appeal to world leaders that they may be "protagonists of peace and not of war."
Pope Francis, 85, canonised Blessed Devasahayam during the Canonisation Mass held in St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican attended by over 50,000 faithful from all over the world as well as government delegations honouring the 10 new saints.
Devasahayam was recommended for the process of Beatification by the Vatican in 2004, at the request of the Kottar diocese, Tamil Nadu Bishops' Council and the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India.
A miracle attributed to Devasahayam was recognised by Pope Francis in 2014, clearing the path to his canonisation in 2022.
It was the first canonisation ceremony at the Vatican in over two years. Pope Francis, who has been complaining of strained ligaments in his right knee for months, used a wheelchair to preside over the ceremony.
In his address, the Pope decried the many wars afflicting the world today and called on leaders to take responsibility.
Sadly in the world distances grow and tensions and wars increase, the Pope said, expressing hope that the new saints may inspire solutions of togetherness and ways of dialogue.
Especially in the hearts and minds of those who hold positions of great responsibility and are called to be protagonists of peace and not of war, the official Vatican News quoted the Pope as saying.
Speaking during the General Audience on March 23, nearly a month after Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, the Pope had remarked on how the war in Ukraine shows that humanity had to shed a strange instinct for "self-destruction" and that buying more weapons was not the ultimate solution to any conflict.
At the beginning of the liturgical celebration, the Pope proclaimed 10 new saints -six men and four women: Titus Brandsma; Lazzarus Devasahayam; Cesar de Bus; Luigi Maria Palazzolo; Giustino Maria Russolillo; Charles de Foucauld; Maria Rivier; Maria Francesca of Jesus Rubatto; Maria of Jesus Santocanale; Maria Domenica Mantovani.
A group of Indians holding the tricolour cheered from the gathering when Devasahayam's name was announced.
With the completion of the process, Pillai, who took the name "Lazarus" after embracing Christianity in 1745, became the first lay person from India to become a saint.
Devasahayam was born on April 23, 1712 as Neelakanta Pillai into a Hindu Nair family, at Nattalam in Kanyakumari district, which was part of the erstwhile Travancore kingdom.
He was an official in the court of Travancore's Maharaja Marthanda Varma when he was instructed into the Catholic faith by a Dutch naval commander.
"Lazarus" or "Devasahayam" in Malayalam, translates to "God is my help".
"While preaching, he particularly insisted on the equality of all people, despite caste differences. This aroused the hatred of the higher classes, and he was arrested in 1749. After enduring increasing hardships, he received the crown of martyrdom when he was shot on 14 January 1752," a note prepared by the Vatican earlier had said.
Sites linked with his life and death are in Kottar Diocese, in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu.
Devasahayam was declared Blessed on December 2, 2012, in Kottar, 300 years after his birth.
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Conspiracy afoot to 'tarnish' image of Dharmasthala: Deputy CM DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Aug 14 (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday said there was a “conspiracy” to tarnish the image of Dharmasthala.
His comments come amid an ongoing investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into serious allegations of mass burials in the revered temple town in Dakshina Kannada district.
“A conspiracy is being hatched to destroy hundreds of years of legacy. It is not correct to tarnish someone just like that. It has all happened due to one complainant,” he said.
Noting that some Congress MLAs have called for action against those involved in the slander campaign at the legislature party meeting, he said, “ I have told them that action must be taken against those who are indulging in a slander campaign. The CM has also said that action must be taken against such people.”
“I have information on this case. Religious feelings should not be hurt in any manner. Culprits must be punished,” he told reporters, according to a release from his office.
Responding to a question, Shivakumar said the Congress party will not allow the image of any religious place to be tarnished.
“We see everyone equally when it comes to religion,” he added.
The SIT, formed by the state government, is probing claims of mass murder, rape, and mass burials in Dharmasthala over the past two decades.
The complainant, a former sanitation worker whose identity has not been revealed, alleged that between 1995 and 2014 he was forced to handle bodies—including women and minors—and that some showed signs of sexual assault. He has given a statement before a magistrate.
As part of the probe, the SIT has been conducting exhumations at multiple locations identified by the complainant-witness in the forested areas along the banks of the Netravathi River in Dharmasthala, where some skeletal remains have been found at two sites so far.
