| His Eminence Duraisamy Simon Lourdusamy |
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|---|---|
| Cardinal-Priest of S Maria delle Grazie alle Fornaci fuori Porta Cavalleggeri | |
| Other posts |
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| Orders | |
| Ordination | 21 December 1951 by Msgr. Auguste-Siméon Colas |
| Consecration | 22 August 1962 by Msgr. Ambrose Rayappan |
| Created Cardinal | 25 May 1985 |
| Rank | Cardinal Priest |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 5, 1924 Kalleri, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Alma mater | St. Peter's Pontifical Seminary Loyola College, Chennai Pontifical Urbaniana University |
| Motto | Ædificare domum Dei which means To build the house of God |
| Coat of arms | |
| Styles of Duraisamy Simon Lourdusamy |
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|---|---|
| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
| See |
Cardinal Priest of Santa Maria delle Grazie alle Fornaci fuori Porta Cavalleggeri (Deaconry raised pro hac vice) |
Duraisamy Simon Lourdusamy (born February 5, 1924) is an Indian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the Prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches in the Roman Curia, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1985. His episcopical motto is Ædificare domum Dei which means To build the house of God.
He is the 4th cardinal from India and the first curial cardinal of Asia outside of the Middle East.
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Lourdusamy was born in the Kalleri village, Tamil Nadu, India. He had his early education at Tindivanam and Cuddalore. He studied philosophy and theology at St. Peter's Pontifical Seminary in Bangalore during 1946-1951. He was ordained to the priesthood on December 21, 1951 by Archbishop Auguste-Siméon Colas, MEP, the then Archbishop of Pondicherry and Cuddalore. After studying at Loyola College in Madras (1952–1953), he was sent to Rome to pursue higher studies in the area of Canon Law at the Pontifical Urbaniana University (1953–1956) from where he obtained a doctorate.
On returning to the Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore he served as Secretary to the Bishop, Editor of the archdiocesan weekly "Sarva viyabhi" (சர்வ வியாபி), and was choir master at the Cathedral in Pondicherry.
On returning to India, Lourdusamy served as Archdiocesan Chancellor and private secretary to Archbishop Ambrose Rayappan, edited the archdiocesan Tamil weekly Sarva Viyabhi (சர்வ வியாபி), and was Choir Master at the Cathedral from 1956 to 1962 before being appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Bangalore and Titular Bishop of Sozusa in Libya on July 2, 1962. He received his episcopal consecration on the following August 22 from Archbishop Rayappan, with Bishops Rajarethinam Sundaram and Daniel Arulswamy serving as co-consecrators. Lourdusamy later attended the Second Vatican Council (Sessions 2, 3 and 4 as a Council Father). On November 9, 1964, he was made the Coadjutor Archbishop of Bangalore, and then succeeded Thomas Pothacamury as Archbishop on January 11, 1968. He left India to serve in the Curial Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in March 1971, and resigned as Archbishop of Bangalore on April 30. Lourdusamy was appointed Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and Vice Chancellor of the Urbaniana University on February 26, 1973.
Pope John Paul II created Lourdusamy Cardinal-Deacon of S. Maria delle Grazie alle Fornaci fuori Porta Cavalleggeri in the consistory of May 25, 1985; he is the first Tamil to be raised to the rank of cardinal. Lourdusamy was named Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches on the following October 30, and later resigned the post on May 24, 1991. He became Cardinal Protodeacon (the senior Cardinal-Deacon) on April 5, 1993, and served as a special papal legate to the funeral of Mother Teresa on September 13, 1997. On April 5, 1993 was appointed protodeacon. He chose to become a Cardinal-Priest on January 29, 1996.
| Catholic Church titles | ||
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| Preceded by Aurelio Sabattani |
Cardinal Protodeacon 5 April 1993 – 29 January 1996 |
Succeeded by Eduardo Martínez Somalo |