Cardinal D. Simon Lourdusamy
Apr 13, 2005
Born in Kalleri, India on February 5, 1924, Cardinal D. Simon Lourdusamy was ordained a priest at the age of 27 in his Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore, India. He was dispatched by his Archbishop to Rome to study the sciences and to receive his Doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Urban University five years after his ordination.
(Daily Catholic, June 30, 1999) Returning to his archdiocese, he was reassigned to the position as the Diocese's Chancellor and Secretary to the Archbishop. He also was appointed editor of the Catholic weekly in the Arhdiocese Sava Yaby which was published in the Tamil dialect. During this time he also served as Director of the Catholic Doctors' Guild and President of the University Students' Union.
On July 2, 1962 Pope John XXIII named him bishop, appointing him Titular Bishop of Sozusa and Auxiliary Bishop of Bangalore to which he was installed on August 22, 1962. After two years he was named Titular Archbishop of Filippi and Coadjutor Archbishop of Bangalore by John's successor Pope Paul VI on November 9, 1964. Four years later he became permanent Archbishop of Bangalore on January 11, 1968 where he remained until 1971 when he was named Associate Secretary of the Congregation for Evangelization of Peoples relocating to Rome.
In 1973 he was was appointed Secretary until 1985 when Pope John Paul II, in his Consistory of May 25, 1985, he was elevated to the cardinalate as a cardinal deacon receiving titular church of St. Mary of Grace. He was transferred to the order of Cardinal priests on January 29, 1996. Shortly after receiving his red-hat, the Holy Father promoted him to the position of Prefect for the Congregation for Oriental Churches a post he held until 1991.
During this past decade he as served membership on numerous curia congregations and councils including the Apostolic Signatura Tribunal, the Congregation of the Evangelization of Peoples and the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, plus the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, the Pontifical Council for the Family and the Pontifical Council for Interpretation of Legislative Texts as well as the Pontifical Commission for International Eucharistic Congresses.
Currently 75 years-old, Cardinal Lourdusamy has resided in Rome since he was fifty. His address is presently at Via del Corridori 64 00193 in Rome.
Cardinal D. Simon Lourdusamy