Indian Cardinal from Mumbai to Advise Pope
By Bella Jaisinghani
VATICAN CITY/MUMBAI: India's Oswald Gracias is among eight high-ranking cardinals who were on Saturday appointed by Pope Francis to an advisory council to look into ways of reforming the Vatican bureaucracy. The council will help the Pope revise the Apostolic Constitution and Church administration which helps him in daily governance, the Vatican said in a statement.
Gracias, 68, is archbishop of Bombay (Mumbai), having been appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006. He was raised to the cardinalate in 2007.
In Mumbai, there was elation at the gathering of priests at Holy Name Cathedral for a special function to mark the ordination of permanent deacons when the news broke on Saturday evening. A loud round of applause went up as Cardinal Gracias walked down the aisle and blessed the assembly.
"The secretary of state, who is the second in command, called me last Sunday to seek my consent for the appointment. This means that the Pope is looking to set up a different style of governance and reorganize the universal Church. Of course, it is a good sign that India is being taken seriously and that our feedback is being sought. When I was in Rome recently, I said India should be taken seriously and it is nice to see it happening," Cardinal Gracias told TOI after the function.
Cardinal Gracias was born in Mumbai and studied philosophy and theology in St Xavier's College after completed his schooling at St Michael's School in Mahim. He was ordained to priesthood in 1970. He attended the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome from 1976 to 1982. He obtained a doctorate in canon law and a diploma in jurisprudence.
Gracias was among the 115 cardinals who participated in the recent election of Pope Francis. Like all cardinals, he is a member of various offices of the Roman Curia and attends their plenary meetings every year.
Besides Gracias, the Pope's advisory group has cardinals from several countries including the US, Chile, Germany, Australia, Congo and Honduras. The first meeting of the Council will take place on October 1-3.
The Catholic Church has faced calls for reform in the wake of a string of scandals including alleged sexual abuse of children by priests and allegations of corruption.
Pope's new council to convene in October
Cardinal Oswald Gracias was born in Mumbai and studied philosophy and theology in St Xavier's College after completed his schooling at St Michael's School in Mahim. He was ordained to priesthood in 1970. He attended the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome from 1976 to 1982. He obtained a doctorate in canon law and a diploma in jurisprudence.
Gracias was among the 115 cardinals who participated in the recent election of Pope Francis. Like all cardinals, he is a member of various offices of the Roman Curia and attends their plenary meetings every year. Besides Gracias, the Pope's advisory group has cardinals from several countries including the US, Chile, Germany, Australia, Congo and Honduras. The first meeting of the council will take place between October 1 and 3.
The Catholic Church has recently faced calls for reform in the wake of a string of scandals including alleged sexual abuse of children by priests and allegations of corruption.
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