Valerian Gracias
Bombay | |
|---|---|
| See | Bombay |
| Installed | 4 December 1950 |
| Term ended | 11 September 1978 |
| Predecessor | Archbishop Thomas Roberts, S.J. |
| Successor | Simon Pimenta |
| Other post(s) | Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria in Via Lata(1953-1978) Auxiliary Bishop of Bombay(1946-1950). Bombay, Maharashtra, India |
| Buried | Cathedral of the Holy Name, Mumbai 18°55′24″N 72°49′50″E / 18.92333°N 72.83056°E |
| Nationality |  Indian |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Residence | Mumbai, India |
| Parents | José Gracias (Father) Carlota Gracias (Mother) |
| Alma mater | St. Patrick's High School St. Joseph's Seminary (Mangalore) |
| Motto | Fraternitatis Amore[1](Latin) In the love of brotherhood(English) |
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Valerian Gracias (23 October 1900 – 11 September 1978) was an Indian
cardinal in 1953 by Pope Pius XII
.
Biography
Valerian Gracias was born in
SJ and diocesan chancellor of Bombay.[2] He served as a preacher and pastor, and as the editor of various newspapers before being named the first Indian rector of Mumbai's Holy Name Cathedral
in December 1941.
On 16 May 1946, he was appointed
Archbishop Thomas Roberts SJ, with Bishops Victor Fernandes and Thomas Pothacamury as co-consecrators. Pope Pius XII promoted him to Archbishop of Bombay on 4 December 1950 to replace Roberts, a 57-year-old Englishman, who made way for the appointment of a native-born Indian.[4] Gracias demonstrated his support of Goan nationalism and an opponent of Portuguese colonial rule by presented an image of the Virgin Mary as an indigenous Indian, at a time when the populace was still accustomed to European representations.[5]
On 29 November 1952 Pope Pius XII announced he would create 24 new cardinals, increasing the size of the College of Cardinals to 70 members, its maximum at the time.Cardinal-Priest of S. Maria in Via Lata in the consistory of 12 January 1953.[9] Gracias was considered to be a conservative.[10] The Portuguese government denied reports that it was displeased with the honor bestowed upon Gracias.[11]
He was one of the 51 cardinal electors in the
International Eucharistic Congress in Bombay,[2] preceded by a symposium of Catholic theologians to which he invited Hans Küng.[13] He later said that Pope Paul VI's Bombay visit inspired his encyclical Populorum progressio (1967).[3] In 1970 he was one of 15 prelates chosen to organize the 1971 Synod of Bishops, and he supported Pope Paul against critics of his approach to church governance and insistence of priestly celibacy.[14] From 1954 to 1972, he was President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India and in 1972 helped overcome Vatican skepticism and win Pope Paul's approval of the formation of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences.[15]
He fell ill in May 1978Bombay 11 September 1978 at age 77.[16] He was buried in Holy Name Cathedral in Mumbai.[citation needed]
He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan award, second-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, on 26 January 1966.[17]
References
- ^ "Cardinali motti parte prima".
- ^ ISBN 9788170226192.
- ^ a b "Interview mit dem Erzbischof von Bombay, Kardinal Valerian Gracias" [Interview with the Archbishop of Bombay, Cardinal Valerian Gracias] (Interview). Österreichischer Mediathek. 11 May 1967. Retrieved 23 June 2018. The interview is conducted in English.
- ISBN 9781351478151.
- ISBN 9788170228677. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- ^ Cortesi, Arnaldo (30 November 1952). "24 New Cardinals Named by Vatican; American Included" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
- ^ "Msgr. Agostini, 64, Succumbs in Italy" (PDF). New York Times. 28 December 1952. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
- ^ "Prelate in India to be a Cardinal" (PDF). New York Times. 30 December 1952. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
- ^ "A Cardinal for India". Time. 5 January 1953. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
- ^ "In Search of a Pope". Time. 21 August 1978. Archived from the original on 24 May 2011.
- ^ "Lisbon Endorses Gracias" (PDF). New York Times. 22 January 1953. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- ^ "Council Closing Messages". Christus Rex. Archived from the original on 31 October 1996. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- ISBN 9780802826596. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- ^ Hofmann, Paul (16 May 1970). "Pope Reproaches Belgian Cardinal". New York Times. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- ^ Fox, Thomas C. (23 February 2009). "Beloved 'Asian John XXIII' laid to rest in Korea". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
- ^ a b "Milestones". Time. 25 September 1978. Archived from the original on 14 October 2010.
- ^ "Padma Awards Directory (1954-2013)" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Public Section. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
Sources
- De Souza, Bento S. (1971). India's First Cardinal: Highlights in the Life of Valerian Cardinal Gracias. Examiner Press.
- Pimenta, Simon (2002). Cardinal Valerian Gracias: His Life and Ministry. St. Paul's.
External links
- Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church Archived 13 April 2018 at archive.today
- Catholic-Hierarchy
- Audio recording with Valerian Gracias in the Online Archive of the Österreichische Mediathek (in English) Retrieved 27. March 2021
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