- Stephan Uttom, Dhaka
Catholics in Bangladesh are calling for a speedy canonization process of a former Dhaka archbishop that local people already revere as a saint.
More than 1,000 Catholics gathered Sept. 2 at St. Mary's Cathedral in Dhaka to honor Bangladesh's first local bishop and first local candidate for sainthood on his 38th death anniversary.
Servant of God Theotonius Amal Ganguly, the former Holy Cross archbishop, served Dhaka archdiocese as auxiliary bishop from 1960 and then archbishop from 1967-1977. He died of a heart attack on Sept. 2, 1977, at the age of 57.
"Archbishop Ganguly was a great religious, like a saint and he is a role model to all people. The Church needs to make more effort to have him declared saint so that more people can know about him and follow him," said Kanon Elizabeth Peris, 72, a Catholic.
The Vatican, after local Catholics lobbied for it, declared him in 2006 a "servant of God," the prelude to the formal process by which a candidate can be declared "venerable," then "blessed" and, finally, a saint.
"I have been praying to him for recovery from arthritis pains. I hope Archbishop Ganguly will help me," Peris said.
For a candidate who was not a martyr to be beatified, a verified miracle must be accepted due to her or his intercession. Another such miracle following beatification is necessary for canonization, the declaration of a saint.
Healing power
Many claim that the late prelate has miraculous healing power.
Archbishop Ganguly was a man of "great devotion and holiness," said advocate Promod Mankin, state minister of social services and a Catholic from the indigenous Garo community.
"He was my college teacher and he was a humble and holy man," said Mankin, who attributed his cure from a cardiac disease to Archbishop Ganguly in 2010.
Mankin was "terribly sick" with cardiac problems and was taken to Singapore for better treatment where the doctors were getting ready to operate on him. "I started praying to Archbishop Ganguly. I became well within days and came back to Bangladesh without the operation," Mankin recalled.
"There are people like me who have benefited with blessings from Archbishop Ganguly. So, our Church leaders must work hard to speed up the cause of his sainthood," Mankin added.
The process of Archbishop Ganguly's canonization is continuing despite challenges, said Father Theotonius Proshanto Rebeiro, a member of the diocesan tribunal for canonization.
"Canonization is a challenging and time-consuming process. We are collecting information and interviewing witnesses, but we are facing challenges because some witnesses have passed away, and some information has been lost," said Father Rebeiro.
"We can't say how long it may take for the sainthood of Archbishop Ganguly but we hope that he will surely become a saint one day," he added.
Over the years, the Bangladesh Church has published a wide variety of books and produced documentaries to promote the life and works of the late prelate.
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