Duraisamy Simon Lourdusamy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids His Eminence Duraisamy Simon Lourdusamy |
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| Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches | |
| Appointed | 30 October 1985 |
| Reign ended | 24 May 1991 |
| Predecessor | Wladyslaw Rubin |
| Successor | Achille Silvestrini |
| Other posts | Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria delle Grazie alle Fornaci fuori Porta Cavalleggeri |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 21 December 1951 |
| Consecration | 22 August 1962 by Ambrose Rayappan |
| Created Cardinal | 25 May 1985 |
| Rank | Cardinal-Priest |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 February 1924 Kallery, Gingee Taluk, Viluppuram District, Tamil Nadu, India (then Madras Presidency, British Raj) |
| Died | 2 June 2014 (aged 90) Casa di Cura Pio XI, Rome, Italy |
| Buried | Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Pondicherry 11°55′59″N 79°49′50″E / 11.93299°N 79.83055°E |
| Denomination | Catholic |
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| Styles of Duraisamy Simon Lourdusamy |
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| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
| See | Santa Maria delle Grazie alle Fornaci fuori Porta Cavalleggeri |
Duraisamy Simon Lourdusamy (born February 5, 1924 – died June 2, 2014) was an important cardinal from India. He worked in the Roman Curia, which is like the central government of the Catholic Church. He was in charge of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, which helps Eastern Catholic Churches. In 1985, he became a cardinal.
His special motto was Aedificare domum Dei, which means "To build the house of God." He was the fourth cardinal from India. He was also the first cardinal from Asia (outside the Middle East) to work in the Roman Curia.
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Who Was Cardinal Lourdusamy?
Duraisamy Simon Lourdusamy was born in Kalleri, a village in Tamil Nadu, India. He was one of twelve children. His younger brother, D. S. Amalorpavadass, was also a priest and a theologian. Sadly, his brother died in a car accident. Both brothers were very important in bringing changes from the Second Vatican Council to India.
Cardinal Lourdusamy had good relationships with several Popes. These included Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul I, and especially Pope John Paul II. He also worked closely with Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict XVI.
Pope John XXIII made him a bishop. Pope Paul VI invited him to Rome to work for the worldwide Church. He also worked with Pope John Paul I. For 26 years, he worked very closely with Pope John Paul II.
Early Life and Education
Lourdusamy went to school at St. Ann's in Tindivanam. He finished high school at St. Joseph Higher School in Cuddalore. Then, he studied Philosophy and Theology at St. Peter's Pontifical Seminary in Bangalore from 1946 to 1951.
He became a priest on December 21, 1951. This happened at Seven Dolours Church in Tindivanam. Archbishop Auguste-Siméon Colas ordained him.
After this, he studied at Loyola College in Chennai. Then, he went to Rome for more studies. He studied Canon Law at the Pontifical Urbaniana University from 1953 to 1956. He earned a doctorate degree there. He was very good at his studies, getting perfect scores in all his canon law exams. He also played the piano and wrote music for religious songs.
When he returned to India, he worked in the Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore. He was a secretary to Archbishop Ambrose Rayappan. He also edited a weekly newspaper and led several Catholic groups.
Becoming a Bishop
On July 2, 1962, Pope John XXIII appointed him an Auxiliary Bishop of Bangalore. He was only 38 years old. He became a bishop on August 22, 1962. Archbishop Ambrose Rayappan led the ceremony.
Bishop Lourdusamy attended the Second Vatican Council. This was a very important meeting for the Catholic Church. He was there for sessions 2, 3, and 4. On November 9, 1964, he became the Coadjutor Archbishop of Bangalore. This meant he would take over as archbishop later. He became the Archbishop of Bangalore on January 11, 1968.
As Archbishop, he helped create the National Biblical, Catechetical and Liturgical Centre in Bangalore. He also played a big part in starting St. John's Medical College. This was the first Catholic Medical College in India.
In March 1971, Pope Paul VI asked him to work in Rome. He became the Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. He was the first Asian person to become a member of the Roman Curia.
Becoming a Cardinal
Pope John Paul II made Lourdusamy a cardinal on May 25, 1985. He was the first Tamil person to become a cardinal. On October 30, he was named the Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.
Cardinal Lourdusamy traveled with Pope John Paul II to many countries. He visited 110 countries in total. He received many awards for his work. These awards came from countries like the Philippines, Taiwan, France, Germany, Liberia, and Luxembourg. He also received honorary doctorates from universities in the Philippines and India.
He was very good at languages. He could speak Tamil, Latin, English, Italian, French, German, Kannada, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, and Swedish.
Pope John Paul II also made Cardinal Lourdusamy a member of many important departments in the Roman Curia. These departments deal with different parts of the Church's work, like education, evangelization, and relations with other religions.
Death and Burial
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Cardinal Lourdusamy passed away in Rome on June 2, 2014.
His funeral Mass was held on June 5, 2014. Cardinal Angelo Sodano led the service. Pope Francis also led prayers at the end. His body was then taken to Pondicherry, India. Thousands of people came to pay their respects. On June 9, 2014, after another Mass, he was buried. His tomb is in front of St. Joseph's Altar inside the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Pondicherry.
See also
In Spanish: Duraisamy Simon Lourdusamy para niños
