Contribution of Christian Missionaries
14. Padma Vibhushan Cardinal Valerian Gracias
Cardinal Valerian Gracias is the first Indian to be elevated to the rank of Cardinal in the Catholic Church hierarchy. The Pope, the spiritual head of the Catholics in the world, is chosen amongst these cardinals. Gracias was chosen a leader of the Christian community in the country when India was about to break from the shackles of political slavery. Cardinal Gracias guided the Christian community in India for over two decades.
Cardinal Gracias’ family hailed from Naveli in Goa. His father, Juze Gracias, had migrated to Karachi in search of livelihood. Valerian was born in Karachi on October 23, 1900. His father and mother, Carlota, were not educated. Valerian lost his father when he was just eight. Carlota looked after Valerian and his elder sister Pauline after the demise of her husband.
In 1917, Valerian took leave of his mother and elder sister and joined the St. Joseph Seminary at Mangalore to become a priest. Valerian was sent to this seminary by Mumbai archdiocese, which at that time comprised areas as far as Karachi in the north. However, the climate of Mangalore did not suit Valerian. His religious superiors therefore shifted him to the seminary at Candy in Sri Lanka. Valerian studied there for four years. He was ordained a priest on October 3, 1926. His mother witnessed his ordination. It is indeed a matter of pride for any devout Catholic mother or father to see their son or daughter becoming a priest or nun. Carlota, of course, could never have imagined that her son would rise to become a bishop and later cardinal.
Fr. Valerian was posted as a priest in Mumbai. The tall and handsome Valerian was blessed with good oratory. He would hold the congregation, especially the youngsters, spellbound. Fr Valerian was appointed secretary to the Archbishop of Mumbai Joaquim D'Lima in 1929 and continued to hold the post till 1936. He was appointed as the parish priest of the Woodhouse Church in Mumbai. The local Christians were very happy to have one of their own as their head parish priest. Thereafter, Gracias held many high positions in the Church and became a respectable figure not only among the Christians but a cross section belonging to various religions in the country.
Mahatma Gandhi launched the Quit India movement against the British in 1942. It was a forgone conclusion that the British would have to leave India sooner than later. So far, the Portuguese, the British and the Dutch bishops had led the Catholics in the Mumbai diocese. In free India, it would have been most appropriate that the sons and daughters of the soil govern the church of their country. Therefore, Pope Pious XII appointed Fr. Gracias as the first Indian bishop of the Mumbai archdiocese. He was consecrated bishop on June 29, 1946.
A non-Christian may not be well acquainted with the hierarchy and functioning of the Church. The Catholic Church all over the world has a hierarchy, which comprises the priests at the village or town parish level, bishops and archbishops as the head of a diocese and the cardinal at a higher level of responsibility. A diocese in India comprises few revenue districts. The Vatican-based Pope, of course, is a spiritual head of the Catholic Church.
The Church is spread all over the world and has set up its own administrative wings for proper coordination in spiritual and other matters concerning its folk. The parish priest and the assistant parish priests shoulder the spiritual responsibility of a village or town parish. Several villages and cities from adjoining districts comprise a diocese and its head is called a bishop. Area larger than the diocese is called archdiocese and its head is known as archbishop. Archbishops supervise the neighbouring dioceses as the representative of Pope. For example, the Archbishop of Mumbai, apart from carrying out the responsibility of Mumbai archdiocese, also supervises diocese of neighbouring Pune, Ahmedabad, Baroda, Belgaum, and Nashik and so on. Cardinal is a post of higher importance and responsibility.
A bishop has the authority to appoint, transfer priests in his diocese. He is also empowered to ordain priests. Fellow bishops or cardinals consecrate new bishops who are appointed by the pope. The pope himself appoints and ordains cardinals. A particular robe and different ornaments depict the hierarchy of the pope, cardinals, bishops, archbishops and priests. When these persons holding different posts in the church assemble for a function, their positions in hierarchy are revealed by the robes they adorn.
When Valerian Gracias took over as the bishop, he infused a new vibrancy in the Mumbai diocese. The country got independence soon after his appointment. Bishop Gracias later took over the reins of Mumbai Archdiocese as the first Indian Archbishop on December 1, 1950. It was just two years later, on December 29, 1952, that the Vatican announced appointment of Gracias as the first Indian cardinal of free India. At an impressive ceremony held at the Vatican, this son of India received from the then Pope Pious XII his ceremonial wardrobe including the vestment and the cardinal's skull cap. Valerian Gracias had become the first Indian cardinal, a prince of the Church.
The announcement of Valerian Gracias appointment as the cardinal was well received in all the sections in India. The selection of an Indian for the post of a cardinal was an important moment in the history of Indian church. St. Thomas, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ, had come to India 2,000 years ago and laid the foundation of Christianity. Since then, not a single Indian was ever elevated to such a high post in the church.
The Indian government welcomed it with great happiness. A message sent by the government to the Vatican said: ‘We feel honoured at this historic event as a son of India has been appointed on such a dignified post in the Church’. Asat Ali, the then Indian ambassador to the Vatican, personally called on the then Pope PiousXII and conveyed the happiness of the Indian people and the Indian government over the appointment.
The happiness of the Indians and Indian government over the appointment underlined the importance of the cardinal's post in the church hierarchy and also at the international level. The Pope leads the Catholics the world over. However, the Pope needs help of the church's administrators such as the cardinals, archbishops and bishops to frame the church's policies and decide its stance related to various religious, ethical, humane issues arising in various regions, countries or at international levels. For day-to-day governance, the Pope delegates responsibilities in various fields to cardinals of different countries.
Although, the Pope is only a spiritual leader, countries all over the world also recognise him as a head of a nation- the Vatican City. Incidentally, Vatican City with an area of 0.2 square miles is the world's smallest nation. The Vatican has a population of 770, none of whom are permanent residents as these persons are the cardinals, archbishops and other laypersons temporarily posted in the city. As the head of this tiny State, the Pope appoints archbishops or cardinals in different countries as his ambassadors. In New Delhi, too, the Vatican has its ambassador who is called the Pro Nuncio or the papal representative.
Some cardinals live in Rome itself to carry out the work assigned to them by the Pope. Other cardinals look after the spiritual and other responsibilities of their respective archdioceses. All cardinals have to visit the Vatican whenever summoned by the Pope for urgent consultations on various issues or to attend meetings of various committees.
On the demise of a Pope, all cardinals based in various countries rush to the Vatican and participate in a conclave to elect one amongst them as the next pope. Cardinals below the age of 80 years only can contest the election and one of them is elected to the vacant post. The retirement age for the cardinals is 75 years and after that they continue to be emeritus cardinals devoid of any administrative responsibilities.
Incidentally, as per the church's tradition, a cardinal's title and name is written with the title appearing after the first name and before the second name. For example, Valerian Cardinal Gracias, Ivan Cardinal Dais and Simon Cardinal Pimenta.
A grand civic reception was arranged in Mumbai in honour of Gracias when he was appointed as the cardinal. Replying to the felicitation, the first cardinal of India said - “I have served people without discriminating them on the grounds of caste and religion, I will continue to do as in future also as I am indebted to people.” The cardinal abided by this promise all through his life.
The tenure of Cardinal Valerian Gracias (1950 - 87) is an important period in the history of the Mumbai archdiocese and also the Indian church. He represented India at the international level successfully. The country came to know this charismatic leader when on several occasions he displayed his extraordinary organising ability, his love for the motherland and concern for humanity.
Cardinal Gracias was the chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) during 1954 - 1972. He was longest serving chairman since the CBCI was established in 1944. The CBCI, the apex body of the Catholic Church in the country takes up various spiritual, social, educational and cultural issues, which concern the Indian Christians in particular, and also other communities. As its head, Gracias had an opportunity to shape the destiny of the Catholics in spiritual, educational and other fields in free India for over two decades.
Cardinal Gracias hosted the first all India Eucharistic Congress in Mumbai from December 4- 8, 1954. He was appointed the representative of the Pope for the important event. The five-day congress was attended by thousands of Catholics from all over the country. After the conclusion of the religious session, a public meeting was organised at the venue. The dignitaries present at the function were the then Vice-President Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan and the then Mumbai State Chief Minister Morarji Desai.
The successful organisation of the Indian Eucharistic Congress brought Cardinal Gracias into limelight at the international level. The Vatican later entrusted him with the responsibility of hosting the 38th international Eucharistic Congress in India in 1964. The Holy See had taken note of Gracias' organising skill and ability to mobilise people in church's activities.
Most importantly, the Pope Paul VI had conceded to visit India to officiate at the World Eucharistic Congress. This would be the very first visit of any Pope to India. The news of the Pope's visit to India created a wave of enthusiasm among Indian Christians. The Indian government too welcomed the proposed visit of the Pope.
The 38th international Eucharistic Congress was held in Mumbai from November 28 to December 6, 1964. The then Vice-President, Dr Zakir Hussein, Governor of Maharashtra Dr P V Cherian and Chief Minister Vasantrao Naik and other dignitaries graced the inaugural session of the Congress. Pope Paul VI arrived at the Mumbai airport on December 2. Vice-President Dr. Zakir Hussein, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, State Governor Dr Cherian, Information and Broadcasting Minister Indira Gandhi, and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Violet Alva received him.
When he was leaving India, Pope Paul VI said at the airport, “Here we live our heart, Jai Hind”. President Dr Radhakrishnan complemented Cardinal Gracias for the excellent planning and organisation of the papal visit.
St. John Medical College at Bangalore is a gift of Cardinal Gracias for the cause of health service and medical education in India. The cardinal, then also the CBCI chairperson, envisaged and executed this prestigious project as the chief memorial of the 1964 World Eucharistic Congress held in Mumbai. During the Eucharistic Congress, Pope Paul VI blessed the corner stone of the proposed St John Medical College. The first phase of the college project was inaugurated by President Dr. Zakir Hussein in 1968.
Cardinal Gracias had raised a fund of Rs. 3 crore for the medical college. Students from every corner of the country and belonging to various religious communities have received training at this college. St John's Medical College is now one of the most reputed medical educational institutions in the country.
While discharging his duties and responsibilities as a priest, bishop and cardinal, Valerian Gracias contributed in the field of literature as well. He had taken up as the editor of a periodical ‘Messenger of Sacred Heart’ in 1935. Thereafter, he launched another magazine ‘Catholic Action’. For some time, he had also functioned as co-editor of the weekly ‘Examiner’, published by the Mumbai archdiocese since 1938.
Some of his literary works are ‘The Vatican and International Policy’, ‘Decline of Public Morals’, ‘The Features of Christian Life’, and ‘The Church in the Light of Vatican’. His articles were also published in reputed national newspapers and periodicals like The Times of India and The Illustrated Weekly.
St. Pious Seminary located at Girgaon in Mumbai is a gift from Cardinal Gracias not only to Mumbai archdiocese, but also, to the church of India. This seminary has trained hundreds of youth, aspiring to be priests. Earlier, the seminary was located on a small piece of land at Parel. Cardinal Gracias purchased 30-acres at Girgaon near the Aarey Colony to build a spacious seminary. The seminary was inaugurated in 1960. The youth trained at the seminary have later functioned as priests, bishops, archbishops in different parts of the country and also abroad.
Cardinal Gracias was in Rome to participate in the Second Vatican Council when China invaded India in 1962. The Cardinal left the Council deliberations half way and rushed to his motherland. He had carried along a special message from Pope John XXIII for Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru during this hour of crisis. Later while leading prayers for the country’s sovereignty at Mount Mary's Church, Bandra in Mumbai, the cardinal said that a person is indebted to his father and his country after God. Loyalty to country and patriotism are deep-rooted sentiments, he said.
The deliberations at the second Vatican Council had reached an important stage. They were to shape the church's response to the modern world, its attitude to other religions and various ethical issues raised by science and technology. Cardinal Gracias, however, postponed his departure for the Vatican as India was still fighting the Chinese invasion. He remained in India to boost the morale of his countrymen until a cease-fire was announced. He mobilised funds and essential commodities to help the Indian soldiers and the hundreds and thousands who were displaced by the invasion. He worked hard for ensuring uninterrupted aid for the wounded soldiers and the refugees. His patriotism and social work was lauded by a number of leaders in Maharashtra and in the country.
Cardinal Gracias was decorated by the government of India with the prestigious Padma Vibhushan title in recognition of his services to the nation. He was the only recipient of this great civilian honour announced on the occasion of the Republic Day in 1966. He was also the first Christian to receive the Padma Vibhushan award. The church decorated him as cardinal and the government of India honoured him with Padma Vibhushan award.
President Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan presented the Padma Vibhushan award to Cardinal Gracias in New Delhi on April 20, 1966. The President referred to Gracias as an enthusiastic activist working to achieve human welfare and progress.
There is a famous verse of Jesus Christ - 'Give to Caesar what belongs to him, and to God what belongs to God'. Cardinal Gracias, honoured by both the church and the nation, had followed the verse in totality.
This great son of India breathed his last on September 11, 1978 in Mumbai. Although a priest belonging to a minority community, the Cardinal had attained respect of all his countrymen and leaders.
References:
1.‘Bharatache Pahile Cardinal- Valerian Cardinal Gracias Yanchya Vyaktimatwache Vividh Pailu’ (Marathi) - (India's first Cardinal Valerian Gracias) Fr Francis Correa. Publisher - Rev Sabastian Vaz (On behalf of Catholic Vangmay Mandal) (1971)
2.‘Suputra Maharashtracha- Cardinal Simon Pimenta’ (Marathi) (Cardinal Simon Pimenta- A great son of Maharashtra) - Dr. Rajin D’Silva- Editor -Fr. Hillary Fernandes, Jeevan Darshan Prakashan, Girij, Vasai - 410 201 (1990)
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PUNE: There are high chances that Pope Francis may visit India this year as the Catholic Bishops Conference of India has formally urged the Indian government to invite the pontiff on a state visit. If Pope Francis accepts India’s invitation, it will be the fourth papal visit to the country.
