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Meet India’s first Dalit Cardinal Poola Anthony, picked to lead Catholic church in country

February 07, 2026 4 min read Social Issues Art & Culture GS Paper 1 (Social Issues Indian Society) GS Paper 2 (Polity Minority Rights)
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What Happened

  • Cardinal Poola Anthony, the 64-year-old Archbishop of Hyderabad, was elected as the new President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) at its 37th General Body Meeting held in Bengaluru on February 7, 2026.
  • He is the first Dalit prelate to head India's Catholic community of nearly 2 crore (approximately 23 million) people.
  • Cardinal Anthony succeeds Archbishop Andrews Thazhath of Kerala and was elected for a two-year term.
  • Born on November 15, 1961, in Poluru in the Diocese of Kurnool, he was ordained a priest in 1992, appointed Bishop of Kurnool in 2008, and became Metropolitan Archbishop of Hyderabad in 2020. Pope Francis elevated him to Cardinal in August 2022.
  • Sources within the CBCI stated that the Indian Church is undergoing "severe distress" due to persecution of pastors and believers, and Cardinal Anthony will lead delegations to advocate for minority rights.

Static Topic Bridges

Caste Discrimination Within Religious Minorities

Caste-based discrimination extends beyond Hinduism into other religious communities in India, including Christianity and Islam. Despite conversion being seen historically as a path to escape the caste system, converts from Dalit backgrounds have reported continued social hierarchies within churches, including segregated seating, separate burial grounds, and underrepresentation in clergy.

  • An estimated two-thirds (approximately 60-65%) of India's Catholics are believed to be from Dalit backgrounds, yet they have been historically underrepresented in the priesthood and episcopate
  • The 1950 Presidential Order on Scheduled Castes originally restricted SC status to Hindus; it was extended to Sikhs (1956) and Buddhists (1990) but not to Christians or Muslims who convert from SC backgrounds
  • Dalit Christian activists have long demanded SC reservation benefits, arguing that conversion does not erase caste-based discrimination in practice
  • In 2022, the Supreme Court asked the Centre to consider the inclusion of Dalit Christians and Muslims in the SC category, and the Ranganath Misra Commission (2007) had recommended the same

Connection to this news: Cardinal Poola Anthony's election as the first Dalit head of the CBCI is viewed as a historic step in addressing the underrepresentation of Dalit Christians in Church leadership, even as the broader issue of SC status for Dalit converts remains unresolved.

Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI)

The CBCI is the permanent association of all Catholic bishops in India, established in 1944 in Chennai. It serves as the apex body coordinating the pastoral, doctrinal, and administrative activities of the Catholic Church across the country.

  • The CBCI comprises bishops from three ritual traditions: 132 Latin dioceses, 31 Syro-Malabar dioceses, and 11 Syro-Malankara dioceses (174 total)
  • India has over 23 million Catholics, representing approximately 1.57% of the total population; the Catholic Church is the largest single Christian denomination in India
  • The CBCI Secretariat was based in Bangalore until 1962, when it shifted to New Delhi
  • The CBCI president represents the Indian Catholic community in dealings with the government, interfaith bodies, and the Vatican

Connection to this news: Cardinal Anthony's election as CBCI president places a Dalit leader at the helm of the body that represents India's nearly 2 crore Catholics and advocates for minority rights at a time when the Church reports concerns about persecution and threats to religious freedom.

Minority Rights Under the Indian Constitution

The Indian Constitution provides a framework of fundamental rights and protections for religious and linguistic minorities under Articles 25-30. These provisions guarantee freedom of religion, the right to manage religious affairs, and the right to establish and administer educational institutions.

  • Article 25 guarantees freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practise, and propagate religion
  • Article 26 gives religious denominations the right to manage their own affairs in matters of religion
  • Article 29 protects the interests of minorities by guaranteeing the right to conserve distinct language, script, or culture
  • Article 30 grants minorities the right to establish and administer educational institutions; the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) was established under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992
  • Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians (Parsis), and Jains are notified as religious minorities at the national level

Connection to this news: Cardinal Anthony's leadership of the CBCI comes at a time when the body has flagged concerns about persecution of Christian clergy and believers, making his role in engaging with government institutions on minority rights particularly significant.

Key Facts & Data

  • Cardinal Poola Anthony: First Dalit Cardinal of India (elevated August 2022) and first Dalit CBCI President (elected February 7, 2026)
  • CBCI: Established in 1944; represents 174 dioceses across three ritual traditions (Latin, Syro-Malabar, Syro-Malankara)
  • India has approximately 23 million Catholics (1.57% of total population)
  • An estimated 60-65% of Indian Catholics are from Dalit backgrounds
  • Cardinal Anthony: Born 1961 in Poluru (Kurnool); ordained 1992; Bishop of Kurnool (2008); Archbishop of Hyderabad (2020); Cardinal (2022)
  • The 1950 Presidential Order restricts SC status to Hindu, Sikh, and Buddhist converts; Dalit Christians and Muslims are excluded