Asia mourns Council theologian Fr Wilfred

Originally from Tamil Nadu, he died suddenly at the age of 76. He wrote enriching texts on topics such as the relationship between faith and justice, inculturation, interreligious dialogue. Known throughout the world, he had been called by Pope Francis as an expert to the Synod, collaborating in drafting the Instrumentum Laboris. He also paid great attention to China.

Milan (AsiaNews) - Fr Felix Wilfred, one of India's most important and respected theologians died suddenly in Chennai at the age of 76 on 7 January.

Cardinal Felipe Neri Ferrão, president of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC), remembers Wilfred as “a beacon of intellectual and spiritual wisdom”, recognising the transformative impact of his thought on the global theological landscape.

Felix Wilfred was born into a devout Catholic family in the rural village of Puthenkadai (Tamilnadu), South India. He entered the seminary, and as a bright and promising young man that he was, he was sent to Rome in 1965, at only 17 years of age, to study philosophy and theology.

The Second Vatican Council was in progress: the young Felix was an eyewitness to the impressive closing ceremony, an experience that impressed him and had a significant impact on his choices. From that point on, his entire theological research life has been marked by the realisation of the Council and its most innovative inspirations.

After his doctorate at the Urbanian University Wilfred studied Italian and French literature in Perugia and Caen respectively. His academic excellence, mastery of philosophical, theological and humanistic subjects, and extraordinary competence in numerous ancient and modern languages won him many prestigious domestic and international awards and commissions.

He was a prolific author, with hundreds of titles of essays, books and editions. He collaborated with many institutions, including the FABC, Unesco, the Indian Bishops' Conference, the University of Madras, and countless commissions.

When he was only 35 years old, he became president of the Indian Theological Association (1983); he was then a member of the International Theological Commission (1986-1991) and a member of the editorial board of Concilium, the most prestigious theological journal with a progressive bent. He also became chairman of its editorial board, moving its headquarters from Europe to Chennai.

Wilfred's contribution to academic research is impressive: it lies within the framework of postcolonial studies and contextual and multidimensional theology, i.e. a theological discourse that necessarily interacts with all aspects of the complex existential reality of men and women.

Fr. Wilfred studied a varity of subjects including justice and human rights, starting with the emancipation of Dalits and Indian minorities; national, identity and women's question in India; popular and subaltern religions; inculturation; plurality of religions and interreligious dialogue; globalisation, relativism and ecology.

He also wrote, in an innovative way, on the treatises of classical theology, such as Christology and ecclesiology. His whole life was dedicated to theological study and teaching: Felix Wilfred believed that the labour of thinking was by no means useless, on the contrary it was an exercise in ‘transformative knowledge’ that opened up freedom and truth.

Wilfred was a critical and prophetic intellectual, with clearly innovative positions, but without ever abandoning his ecclesial responsibility and strong sense of belonging to the Catholic community and tradition.

Pope Francis had called him as an expert to the Synod, for which he collaborated in drafting theInstrumentum laboris of the second session (2024).

Fr Riccardo Battocchio, president of the Association of Italian Theologians (ATI) and special secretary of the synod, remembers him as follows:

‘In addition to his undoubted competence, I greatly appreciated his style, his ability to cooperate and to show esteem for his colleagues’. Fr Felix had also joyfully accepted to give a talk at the ATI congress in Pisa next July. Known all over the world, Wilfred attended hundreds of theological conferences. It was at one of these, in Hong Kong in 1999, that I met him for the first time. I must admit that I remember the occasion well because in the discussion he expressed criticism of my paper. This resulted in a relationship that deepened over time: when he wrote about the incipient theological reflection in contemporary China he consulted me with a remark that gratified me. There were other opportunities to meet, especially in Hong Kong: Wilfred was interested in the impact of China in the world and in the Church and we kept reading each other. And we were to sit at the same table, he as speaker and I as moderator, next 29 March in Rome, as part of a major conference on mission theology to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the missionaries of the Society of the Divine Word. It is indeed a pity that that conference will have to do without his critical, inspiring and competent contribution. So too will the Italian theologians miss him in Pisa. Asian and international theological communities, committed to building an ever more synodal and missionary Church, will miss Fr. Felix Wilfred's competence and vision."

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