Cardinal Telesphore Plasidus Toppo, who died earlier this month, had the distinction of working as the Archbishop of Ranchi under as many as three Popes and also took an active part in choosing two of them.

“If we consider his tenure as a priest, he had served under as many as 5 Popes,” informed Theodore Mascarenhas, auxiliary bishop at Ranchi archdiocese who had come from Rome to assist Cardinal Toppo in 2013.

Father Toppo, the first tribal Catholic priest of India and arguably of Asia as well to become a Cardinal, died on October 4 — just 10 days before his 84th birthday — and was buried with state honours in Ranchi on October 11.

Father Toppo became the Archbishop of Ranchi in August 1985 during the papacy of Pope John Paul II and was elevated as a Cardinal in 2003 by the same Pope.

He was a cardinal elector who attended the papal conclave that elected Benedict XVI as the Pope succeeding John Paul II in 2005.

Cardinal Toppo again played the same role in 2013 when the elector cardinals chose the incumbent Pope Francis as the successor of Pope Benedict XVI.

“Cardinal Toppo was ordained as a priest in May 1969, so he had also served under Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul I,” Bishop Mascarenhas elaborated about the late Cardinal working under as many as five Popes that not many could normally do.

“The Cardinal had a number of plans that he couldn’t manage to execute alone,” the bishop replied when asked why he was brought from Rome where he was engaged with a papal assignment to assist the late Cardinal.

Cardinal Toppo was very polite with young priests as he found when he had first met him during the initial years of his priesthood, the bishop
further said, adding that was why he agreed to shift from Rome to take up as the auxiliary bishop at Ranchi archdiocese.

“The late Cardinal had focused on raising the second and even the third line of sincere workers from among those in church ranks and was successful because of his polite nature,” Bishop Mascarenhas added.

Although he could retire after attaining the age of 75 years, Cardinal Toppo was asked to continue and did so for over three more years.

“Cardinal Toppo had a very affectionate relationship with Mother Teresa and always drew inspiration from her,” the Bishop further informed, hinting that may have helped him work tirelessly.

“The Cardinal once told me that he had asked Mother Teresa what she did to overcome fatigue and the Saint replied that she found strength after praying for some time at the chapel,” Bishop Mascarenhas added.