Duraisamy Simon Lourdusamy

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His Eminence Duraisamy Simon Lourdusamy (born Feb 5, 1924) is an Indian clergyman, the Cardinal Priest of S. Maria delle Grazie alle Fornaci fuori Porta Cavalleggeri and Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches in the Roman Catholic Church.

Note that his given name is Lourdusamy; Simon is his father's given name; and Duraisamy is his family or, more exactly, his "house" name. He is a brother of priest and theologian Durasaimy Simon Amalorpavadass.

Cardinal Lourdusamy was born in the Kalleri village, Tamil Nadu, India. On Dec 21, 1951 he was ordained a priest at the age of 27 in the Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore. He was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Bangalore in 1962, was made the coadjutor archbishop of the archdiocese in 1964, and succeeded as archbishop in 1968. He left India to serve in the Congregation for the Oriental Churches in the Roman Curia in 1971, was appointed the secretary of the congregation in 1973, and was named the prefect of the congregation in 1985 by Pope John Paul II.

Pope John Paul named archbishop Lourdusamy Cardinal Deacon of S. Maria delle Grazie alle Fornaci fuori Porta Cavalleggeri in the consistory of 1985. Cardinal Lourdusamy is the first Tamil to be appointed as a Cardinal. He chose to be elevated to Cardinal Priest in 1996.