Joseph Cordeiro
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Joseph Marie Anthony Cordeiro was born in Bombay, India on 19 Jan 1918 to parents of Goan origin. He was educated at Saint Patrick's High School, Karachi, the University of Bombay and Oxford University and received his religious training at the Papal Seminary in Kandy, Sri Lanka and was ordained a priest in Karachi, Pakistan on 24 Aug 1946. From 1946-1948 he did pastoral work in Hyderabad and Karachi. From 1951 to 1953 he served as Principal of St. Francis Xavier High School, Quetta and as Rector of the Saint Pius X Seminary in Quetta. On 7 May 1958 he was appointed Archbishop of Karachi, with his seat at Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Karachi.
He attended the Second Vatican Council, 1962-1965, the First Ordinary Assembly of the World Synod of Bishops, Vatican City, September 29 to October 29, 1967, the First Extraordinary Assembly of the World Synod of Bishops, Vatican City, October 11 to 28, 1969, and the II Ordinary Assembly of the World Synod of Bishops, Vatican City, September 30 to November 6, 1971. He was elected member of the Council of the General Secretariat of the World Synod of Bishops, November 6, 1971.
He was the first Pakistani Cardinal elevated to the position by Pope Paul VI on 5 Mar 1973. He attended both papal conclaves in 1978 and was mentioned as papabile by Time Magazine after the death of Pope John Paul I. He was appointed by Pope John Paul II as Secretary of several church Curia Committees. Even as cardinal, he would use his bicycle on some of his visits, till he was informed by the Apostolic Nuncio that this was not a fit way for a cardinal to travel. He died in Karachi on 11 Feb 1994. [1] He was succeeded by Archbishop Simeon Pereira.[2]
