Kolkata: Archbishop Emeritus Henry Sebastian D'Souza passes away

Eminent educationist and Archbishop Emeritus of Kolkata Henry Sebastian D'Souza passed away on Monday following age-related illness.

He was 90 and passed away in his home peacefully, Archbishop Thomas D'Souza said. Active in Church-related work, he was the Archbishop of Kolkata from 1986 till his retirement in 2002.

D'Souza was well-known internationally as he was the Archbishop when Mother Teresa died. Later on he played a crucial role in initiating the process of canonising her as saint. During his lifetime, he had served as the president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India and secretary general of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences.

Known as an educationist, he had also played a major role in founding the Sacred Heart School in Kharagpur town. He had also served as the Bishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar. "Emeritus Archbishop of Kolkata Henry D'Souza just passed away. Much loved educationist and man of God. Friend of our family. RIP," Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien said in a tweet.

Emeritus Archbishop of #Kolkata Henry D'Souza just passed away. Much loved educationist and man of God. Friend of our family RIP

— Derek O'Brien (@quizderek) June 27, 2016