Pope Francis has lauded the role of Indian Cardinal Simon Lourdusamy in spreading the Gospel across the world.
Condoling the death of Lourdusamy, the Pope expressed his gratitude for the cardinal's "priestly life spent in spreading the Gospel first in India and subsequently in service to the Universal Church" and commended his noble soul to the Lord, the Vatican said in a statement.
He died in Rome on Monday after being hospitalised for falling health.
The 90-year-old Lourdusamy, who was elevated as Cardinal in 1985, was Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches at Rome.
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 Evangelisation of Peoples before being elevated as a Cardinal in 1985.
He was the fourth cardinal from India.
