: Cardinal Duraisamy Simon Lourdusamy, a native of Puducherry, passed away early today at Rome.
"His Eminence D. Simon Cardinal Lourdusamy passed away this morning at 05.05 AM. RIP," according to the official website of Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore.
The mortal remains of the Cardinal would be flown to Chennai and taken to Puducherry, where the funeral is expected tomorrow, sources said.
The 90-year old Lourdusamy, who was elevated as Cardinal in 1985, was Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches at Rome.
Born on February 5, 1924 at Kalleri near Puducherry, the Cardinal became a priest in Puducherry in 1951.
After serving in Libya as Titular Bishop of Sozusa, he also served as Archbishop of Bangalore. In 1975, he was made Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples before being elevated as a Cardinal in 1985.
He was the fourth cardinal from India and the first curial cardinal of Asia outside of the Middle East.
