Vatican City: Two Indian churches are among the 21 that will be appointed by Pope Francis to the rank of cardinal in a ceremony in the Vatican in August, announced on Sunday.
Two cardinals from India are Archbishop Filipe Neri Antonio Sebastiao in Rosario Ferrao – Archbishop of Goa and Damao (India) and Archbishop Anthony Poola – Archbishop of the Chief at Hyderabad (India), reported the official news Vatika.

At the end of Regina Coeli on Sunday, Pope Francis said that on August 27, he would hold a consistory for new cardinal creation, the report said.

He also said that he would meet from August 29 and 30 with all Cardinals to reflect on the Apostolic Constitution who had just praised Evangelium.

Eight of the new Cardinals from Europe, six from Asia, two from Africa, one from North America, and four from Central America and Latin.

College of Cardinals currently consist of 208 Cardinals, including 117 are voters and 91 are non-election. On August 27, the number will grow to 229 Cardinals, including 131 will become a voter.

Pastor Ferrao was born in Aldona Village near Panaji on January 20, 1953 and began his religious study at Our Lady’s seminary in Saligao and then went to the seminary of the Papal in Pune, a senior official from the Archbishop’s Palace in Panaji, Goa said on Sunday.

He graduated in the fields of philosophy and theology and fluent in Konkani, English, Portuguese, Italian, French and German, the official added.

Father Ferrao was ordained a priest on October 28, 1979 and, on December 12, 2003, he was ordained the Archbishop of Goa and Daman by Pope John Paul II after the Archbishop who was turning, Father Raul Goncalves resigned.