Originally from Tamil Nadu, he passed away suddenly at the age of 76. He wrote fruitful pages on topics such as the relationship between faith and justice, inculturation, and interreligious dialogue. Known throughout the world, he had been called by Pope Francis as an expert to the Synod, collaborating in the drafting of the Instrumentum Laboris. He also looked closely at China.
Milan () – On January 7, Father Felix Wilfred, one of the most important and respected theologians in India, died suddenly in Chennai at the age of 76. Cardinal Felipe Neri Ferrão, president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), remembers Wilfred as “a beacon of intellectual and spiritual wisdom,” recognizing 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), in southern India. He entered the seminary and, as a brilliant and promising young man, was sent to Rome in 1965, at only 17 years old, to study philosophy and theology. The Second Vatican Council was underway: young Felix was an eyewitness of the impressive closing ceremony, an experience that impressed him and had a significant impact on his choices. Since then, his entire life of theological research has been marked by the realization of the Council and its most innovative inspirations. After obtaining a doctorate from the Urbaniana University, Wilfred studied Italian and French literature in Perugia and Caen, respectively. His academic excellence, his mastery of philosophical, theological and humanistic subjects and his extraordinary competence in numerous ancient and modern languages earned him numerous prestigious national and international awards and commissions.
He was a prolific author, with hundreds of titles of essays, books and editions. He collaborated with numerous institutions, such as the FABC, UNESCO, the Episcopal Conference of India, the University of Madras and countless commissions. At just 35 years old, he became president of the Indian Theological Association (1983); Later he was 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 tendency. He also became president of its editorial board, moving its headquarters from Europe to Chennai.
Wilfred’s contribution to academic research is impressive: it is situated within the framework of postcolonial studies and contextual and multidimensional theology, that is, a theological discourse that necessarily interacts with all aspects of the complex existential reality of men and women. . Among the topics Wilfred has studied are justice and human rights, starting with the emancipation of Dalits and Indian minorities; the national, identity and women’s issues in India; popular and subaltern religions; inculturation; the plurality of religions and interreligious dialogue; globalization, relativism and ecology. He also wrote, innovatively, on classical theological treatises such as Christology and ecclesiology. His entire life was dedicated to theological study and teaching: Felix Wilfred believed that the work of thinking was not at all useless, on the contrary, it was an exercise of “transformative knowledge” that opened to freedom and truth.
Wilfred was a critical and prophetic intellectual, with clearly innovative positions, but without ever abandoning his ecclesial responsibility and his 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 the drafting of the Instrumentum laboris of the second session (2024). Father Riccardo Battocchio, president of the Association of Italian Theologians (ATI) and special secretary of the Synod, remembers him this way: “In addition to his undoubted competence, I greatly appreciated his style, his capacity for collaboration and esteem for his colleagues.” On the other hand, Fr. Félix had happily agreed to give a lecture at the ATI congress to be held in Pisa next July.
Known throughout the world, Wilfred has attended hundreds of theological conferences. It was in one of them, in Hong Kong in 1999, where I met him for the first time. I must admit that I remember the occasion well because in the debate he expressed criticism of my presentation. This gave rise to a relationship that deepened over time: when he wrote about the incipient theological reflection in contemporary China, he consulted me with a comment that gratified me. There were other occasions of meeting each other, especially in Hong Kong: Wilfred was interested in the impact of China on the world and on the Church and we did not stop reading each other. And we were going to sit at the same table, he as speaker and I as moderator, on March 29 in Rome, within the framework of a great conference on the theology of mission to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of the missionaries of the Society of the Divine Word. It is a pity that this congress has to do without his critical, inspiring and competent contribution. Italian theologians will also miss him in Pisa. The Asian and international theological communities, committed to building an increasingly synodal and missionary Church, will miss the competence and vision of Fr. Félix Wilfred.
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