We Regret to Announce the Sad Demise of His Eminence, Ivan Cardinal Dias, Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, and Archbishop Emeritus of Bombay.

Cardinal Ivan Dias, was born on 14 April, 1936 in Mumbai, India and was ordained for the Archdiocese of Bombay on 8 December, 1958. He held a doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Lateran University, Rome.

He entered the Holy See’s diplomatic service in 1964 and was posted to the Nordic countries, Indonesia, Madagascar, La Réunion, the Comorros, Mauritius and the Secretariat of State. On 8 May 1982, he was appointed titular Archbishop of Rusubisir and Apostolic Pro-Nuncio in Ghana, Togo and Benin, and received episcopal ordination on 19 June. He later served as Apostolic Nuncio in Korea (1987-91) and Albania (1991-97).

On 8 November 1996 he was appointed Archbishop of Bombay. Till 2006

He was created and proclaimed Cardinal by Saint Pope John Paul II in the consistory of 21 February, 2001, of the Title of Spirito Santo alla Ferratella (Holy Spirit at Ferratella).

Cardinal Ivan Dias was also President Delegate of the 10^th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (October 2001). He was appointed Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples and Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Urbanian University from 20 May 2006 until 10 May 2011.

Cardinal Dias passed away at 8 PM, in Rome on the 19th of June, 2017. 

His funeral mass will be held on June 21st at 3 pm at St. Peter's Basilica. He will be buried in the Chapel of Propaganda Fide at Verano cemetery in Rome.

Press Office

Archdiocese of Bombay