Per chevron reversed in the form or a carpenter’s ruler Or charged with a fleur-de-lis Vert and Argent bound in Azure; on Chief Gules the dove of the Holy Spirit volant recursant descendant Argent over a book opened Argent bound Or; on Base Azure a sun in splendour Or rising from a mount Argent charged by a Cross Sable above three tents Vert, in between two clouds Argent with two flames Or.

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The Personal Coat of Arms of the Archbishop

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The personal coat of arms of the Archbishop is comprised of the following elements:

In the chief portion, the Holy Spirit is signified by the dove coming down, just like when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles during Pentecost. It describes the Apostolic Succession wherein the Bishops of the Catholic Church today are consecrated by a succession of brother bishops leading to the Apostles. The Gules (red) background also represents Pentecost and in particular St. Thomas the Apostle, who is believed to be the Apostle to India as tradition holds that he preached Christ’s Gospel in India. The colour also signifies the Second Pope, St. Linus, “the first to receive the episcopate of the church at Rome, after the martyrdom of Paul and Peter”, serving as Pope or Bishop of Rome from A.D. 68 to 80. It is linked to the baptismal name of the Archbishop, Linus.

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The opened book refers to two essential references of teaching in the Church. First, it represents Sacred Scripture or the Bible, the essential text of Christianity. As St. Paul mentioned to Timothy: “All Scripture is divinely inspired and has its use for teaching the truth and refuting error, for reformation of manners and discipline in right living, so that the man who belongs to God may be efficient and equipped for good work of every kind” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). It also represents the many pastoral works the Archbishop has offered to the local Church of Imphal in his years as a priest. He served as Dean of Studies at the Minor Seminary of Imphal (1985-1986); Assistant Parish Priest of Sacred Heart in Hundung (1988-1989); Principal of the Sacred Heart Institute in Hundung (1998-2004); Associate Director at St. John’s Medical College Hospital in Bangalore (2004-2007); National Director of Caritas India (2013-2014); and Parish Priest and Principal of the San Pietro Institute in Monsang Pantha (2016-2019).

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Second, it represents the Code of Canon Law of the Catholic Church. The Archbishop specialised on the laws of ecclesial life, having finished the Licentiate and Doctorate degrees in Canon Law from the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, Italy. He also served in various designations on the implementation of Canon Law as Secretary to the Archbishop of Imphal (1986-1988), Chancellor and Judicial Vicar of Imphal (1994-1998), Vicar General of Imphal (2007-2010); and Director of the Archdiocesan Retreat Center and Judicial Vicar of the Metropolitan Court of Imphal (2019-2023).

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The carpenter’s ruler charged with the fleur-de-lis represents St. Joseph, the Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Patron Saint of the Universal Church and of Workers. He is the titular patron saint of the Cathedral and of the Archdiocese of Imphal where the Archbishop has served as a priest and as shepherd. The combination of the colours Gules (red) in the chief and Argent (silver) in the dove represents the flags in the 1907–1949 coat of arms of the State of Manipur in Northeast India where the Archdiocese of Imphal is located.

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At the base are symbols depicting the Gospel scene of the Transfiguration of Our Lord (Matthew 17:1–8, Mark 9:2–13, Luke 9:28–36) at Mount Tabor wherein Christ transfigured before Peter, James, and John and when His clothes became dazzling white, “such as no fuller on earth could bleach them”. The sun in splendour charged with a Cross atop the mountain represents Christ himself. It also represents a number of matters related to the Archbishop. The sun reminds the Archbishop of his years in formation to the priesthood in philosophy at Christ the King College in Shillong and in theology at the Papal Seminary in Pune as well as in the ministry as Rector of Oriens Theological College in Shillong (2014-2017). The three tents represent the words Peter spoke to Jesus while transfigured. He said: “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” The two clouds with flames between the sun represent the two figures in the Old Testament who were found beside Christ while transfigured: the Patriarch Moses and the Prophet Elijah. Their symbols represent their glorious passing from this life to heaven and their link to the fire of God’s love. Moses saw God through the burning bush at Mount Sinai (Exodus 3:1-14) while Elijah was brought to God through a flaming chariot (2 Kings 2:11) The scene itself is a reflection of the Archbishop in ministry entrusted to him wherein we must preach of Christ’s glory and follow the path of holiness from our forefathers to the present. The sun also has a connection with the Archbishop’s surname. The surname Neli is associated with the Indian gooseberry, a fruit considered sacred and used in traditional medicine and religious rituals and with Ἑλένη in Greek, meaning “torch,” “shining light,” or “the bright one”.

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The Azure (blue) color reflects the deep devotion of the Archbishop to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Archbishop was born on April 26, 1958 on the Feast of the Mother of Good Counsel. He was ordained a priest on December 20, 1984 on one of the Rorate Caeli Masses which is a traditional Advent devotion wherein the Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary for Advent is offered just before dawn. On the day itself, the fourth O antiphon is sung: “O Key of David, and Sceptre of the house of Israel who opens and no man shuts, who shuts and no man opens; Come and bring forth the captive from his prison, he who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death”. He was appointed Archbishop of Imphal on October 7, 2023, Feast of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary. He was consecrated a bishop on December 8, 2023, Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

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The Motto “IPSVM AVDITE” The Archbishop’s motto is a Latin phrase spelled in traditional Roman manner (with the letter “u” depicted as “v”) which means “Listen to him”. This phrase was taken from the Gospel account of the Transfiguration of Our Lord in Matthew 17:5 where the Father’s voice from heaven spoke to the disciples Peter, James, and John who accompanied Jesus at Mount Tabor. There, the voice said: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him”. Thus, the mission of listening in the spirit of synodality has been the mission of the Archbishop in his ministry as the Local Ordinary of Imphal.

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The Ornaments of the Episcopal Rank: The shield is surmounted by a Cross and by a Roman galero or ecclesiastical hat of this rank, i.e., Vert (green) with 10 tassels of the same pendant (1, 2, 3, and 4) at both sides. These features signify the rank of an Archbishop.

 

The Cross is a Patriarchal or Archiepiscopal Cross which signifies the rank of the armiger as an Archbishop and the See he possessed as a Metropolitan Archdiocese.

 

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Episcopal Motto:

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The Episcopal motto “Ipsum Audite” (Listen to Him) encapsulates the call to remain rooted in the love of God and to be continually guided by the promptings of the Holy Spirit. It emphasises the necessity of engaging deeply with Sacred Scripture, through which God unceasingly communicates with humanity across all ages. This attentive listening extends not only to divine revelation but also to creation, our common home, inviting a respectful and harmonious relationship with nature. Human creativity, boundless in its potential, must find its orientation within the divine design of the Creator. To achieve this balance, a constant attitude of listening and discernment is essential, enabling us to seek and fulfill the will of God. Such attentiveness fosters the dynamic expression of the Church’s missionary communion. “O that today you would listen to His voice! Do not harden your hearts" (Psalm 95:7-8).