PANJIM, OCT 17 —

Most Rev. Gracias -- a native of Orlim -- is the fourth Cardinal of Goan origin, after Cardinal Valerian Gracias of Bombay, Cardinal Joseph Cordeiro of Karachi and Cardinal Ivan Dias of Bombay.

Archbishop Gracias and 22 other prelates from different parts of the world, who were appointed Cardinals by Pope Benedict, will be created cardinals in a consistory on November 24, the eve of the Feast of Christ the King.

Following the November 24 consistory, the College of Cardinals will number 202 members of whom 121, under the age of 80, will be electors.

Meanwhile, the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman has rejoiced in the appointment of Archbishop Gracias as a Cardinal of the Universal Church.

“We offer him warm felicitations as well as to the Church in Bombay, which he so ably leads. This Archdiocese wishes the fourth Son of Goa to enter the College of Cardinals God’s special blessings to carry out his outstanding service to the Church in India and worldwide,” stated a press note issued by Fr J Loiola Pereira, Director of the Diocesan Centre for Social Communications Media.

Archbishop Gracias was born on December 24, 1944 and was ordained a priest on December 20, 1970. He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Bombay on June 28, 1997, before being elevated as Archbishop of Agra on September 7, 2000. He was then appointed as archbishop of Bombay on October 14, 2006, succeeding Cardinal Ivan Dias, who was named in May 2006 as president of the Vatican Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith.