Ambrose Madtha

Ambrose Madtha ( born November 2, 1955 in Belthangady, † December 8, 2012 in Biankouma ) was a diplomat of the Holy See.

Life

Ambrose Madtha was born in Belthangady near Mangalore, a port city in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. Three siblings were members of religious orders. He studied Economics ( Master) Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur at the University and Education ( Bachelor) at the University of Lucknow. Then he entered the Seminary of St. Charles in Nagpur and studied philosophy and theology. The Bishop of Lucknow, Cecil DeSa, donated to him on 28 March 1982, the ordination. At the Pontifical Urban University in Rome, he received his doctorate in canon law.

In 1990 he entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See. He worked at the Apostolic Nunciature in Ghana, El Salvador, Georgia, Albania and Taiwan.

Pope Benedict XVI. appointed him on 8 May 2008 Titular Archbishop of Naissus and Apostolic Nuncio in Ivory Coast. He received his episcopal consecration Cardinal Jean -Louis Cardinal Tauran on 27 July 2008; Co-consecrators were Albert D' Souza, Archbishop of Agra, and Gerald John Mathias, Bishop of Lucknow. He was elected Dean of the Ivorian diplomatic corps.

He tried to mediate between the previous ruler Laurent Gbagbo and the election winner Alassane Ouattara 2010/11 after the election in the Ivory Coast. A delicate mission, since Gbagbo was favored by the Catholic bishops of the country, but Ouattara is from the Muslim north. In 2012 he accompanied Ouattara and his wife in an audience with Pope Benedict XVI ..

Madtha engaged repeatedly for human rights, dialogue and national reconciliation in Ivory Coast.

Ambrose Madtha died on 8 December 2012 following a car accident in the west of the country in Biankouma at Odienné. The circumstances are unclear.