India’s most prominent cardinal is standing down as Archbishop of Bombay, have reached the ago of 80 last December.
Newsroom (27/01/2025 11:10, Gaudium Press) Cardinal Oswald Gracias resigns as Archbishop of Bombay, having reached the age of 80 last December. He has been one of Pope Francis’s closest advisors, serving as a member of the Council of Cardinals since its inception in 2013.
Archbishop John Rodrigues Appointed Successor
Archbishop John Rodrigues, previously the coadjutor archbishop of Bombay, has been appointed as the new Archbishop. In his statement, Rodrigues expressed, “Cardinal Oswald Gracias was a giant of a man, and now as his successor, I have mighty big shoes to fill.”
Cardinal Gracias Expresses Gratitude
In a video message, Cardinal Gracias conveyed his heartfelt gratitude to all collaborators in the archdiocese, including bishops, priests, religious members, laity, and the citizens of Mumbai. He mentioned that he had submitted his resignation five years ago and recently reminded Pope Francis of this fact.
“As I lay down the office of archbishop, I express my very sincere thanks to all of my collaborators in the archdiocese,” Gracias said. “My special thanks to the presbyterium of the archdiocese who worked so dedicatedly and always made up for my deficiencies. I thank the Holy Father for his continuous fraternal care for the archdiocese of Bombay. I give thanks to God for his special protection, which I always experience as leader of His Church.”
Significant Contributions to the Church
Cardinal Gracias has played a pivotal role in the Church in India and across Asia. He has served as the president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India. Born in Bombay in 1944, he studied for the priesthood in the city.
Reflecting on the Church in India, Gracias stated, “The Church in India is very vibrant. It is a small population which nears about 2.3 percent of the population in India but it is vibrant. We have 174 dioceses all over coming from three Churches – the Latin Church, the Syro-Malabar, and Syro-Malankara.”
Despite its small size, the Church is overrepresented in the educational, health, and charitable sectors in India, running over 14,000 educational establishments and 1,800 healthcare facilities.
“The vibrancy of the Church is seen not only in the attendance at Sunday Mass but also in the involvement and participation of the faithful in different activities of the Church’s mission,” Gracias added. “Our main activity in the Churches is not only pastoral work but also education. We have schools which serve the people without discrimination of faith and caste and work for nation-building through the empowerment of all peoples through education.”
Focus on Rural Areas
“Besides education, our focus is on the rural areas of the Church in India and the girl child. We are very concerned that girls may not get sufficient education. Then in social work and self-help groups, which empower women through skills and make them financially independent,” Gracias explained.
“Our religious personnel engage themselves in multifaceted apostolates, and many lay faithful are collaborators – with the preferential option aiming at giving fuller life to the oppressed and the poor having in mind the interventional needs of the society and the mission needs of the Catholic Church in India,” he said.
Upcoming Installation of Archbishop Rodrigues
Archbishop John Rodrigues will be formally welcomed to the archdiocese as archbishop at a Mass on February 11.
Raju Hasmukh with files from Crux Now
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