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Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo

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His Eminence
Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo
Cardinal, Metropolitan Archbishop Emeritus of Caracas
File:Baltazar-Enrique-Porras.jpg
Church Roman Catholic Church
Archdiocese Caracas
See Caracas
Appointed 9 July 2018 (apostolic administrator)
Installed 17 January 2023
Term ended 28 June 2024
Predecessor Jorge Liberato Urosa Savino
Successor Raúl Biord Castillo
Other post Cardinal-Priest of Santi Giovanni Evangelista e Petronio (2016–)
Previous posts Auxiliary Bishop of Mérida (1983–1991)
Titular Bishop of Lamida (1983–91)
Metropolitan Archbishop of Mérida (1991–2023)
Apostolic Administrator of San Cristóbal de Venezuela (1998–99)
President of the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference (1999–2006)
Vice-President of the Latin American Episcopal Conference (2007–11)
Apostolic Administrator of Caracas (2018–2023)
Orders
Ordination 30 July 1967
by Miguel Antonio Salas Salas
Consecration 17 September 1983
by José Lebrún Moratinos
Created cardinal 19 November 2016
by Pope Francis
Rank Cardinal-Priest
Personal details
Born 10 October 1944
Caracas, Venezuela
Motto In Nomine Tuo
(In Your name)

Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo (Spanish pronunciation: [baltaˈsaɾ enˈri.ke ˈporas kaɾˈðoso]; born 10 October 1944) is a Venezuelan Catholic retired prelate who served as Archbishop of Caracas from 2023 to 2024. He previously served there as apostolic administrator from 2018 to 2023. Cardozo served as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Mérida from 1983 to 1991 and as Archbishop of Mérida from 1991 to 2023. Pope Francis made him a cardinal in 2016.

Life

Baltazar Enrique Porras Cardozo was born on 10 October 1944 in Caracas. He attended Colegio Fray Luis de León and St. Teresa parish school.[1] He studied philosophy at the Saint Rose of Lima Interdiocesan Seminary in Caracas. He earned a licentiate in theology and a doctorate in pastoral theology at the Pontifical University of Salamanca in Spain.[2]

He was ordained to the priesthood on 30 July 1967[2] by Miguel Antonio Salas Salas.[1] He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Mérida on 23 July 1983 and received his episcopal consecration on 17 September 1983[2] from Cardinal José Lebrún Moratinos. He was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of Mérida on 31 October 1991[2] and was installed there on 5 December.[1]

He served as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of San Cristóbal from 2 March 1998 to 8 June 1999.[1]

He was president of the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference from 1999 to 2006.[3][4] Within the Episcopal Conference of Latin America (CELAM), he was president of the Department of the Laity from 1995 to 1999 and of the Department of Communication from 2003 to 2007. He served as the organization's first vice president from 2007 to 2011.[2][3]

Pope Francis announced on 9 October 2016 that he would make him a cardinal at a consistory on 19 November 2016.[5] At that consistory Porras was named Cardinal-Priest of Santi Giovanni Evangelista e Petronio.[6]

Francis made him a member of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life on 23 December 2017.[7] In September 2019, Pope Francis named him one of the three cardinals to serve as presidents of the Synod for the Amazon.[8]

Pope Francis named him Apostolic Administrator of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Caracas on 9 July 2018.[9] He was named a member of the Pontifical Council for Culture on 11 November 2019.[10]

Pope Francis appointed him Metropolitan Archbishop of Caracas on 17 January 2023.[2]

On August 24, 2024, he was appointed by Pope Francis as the Pontifical Legate for the 53rd International Eucharistic Congress to be held in Quito, Ecuador.[11]

See also

References

  1. Back to citation occurrence 1.0 Back to citation occurrence 1.1 Back to citation occurrence 1.2 Back to citation occurrence 1.3 "Arzobispo". Archdiocese of Caracas (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  2. Back to citation occurrence 2.0 Back to citation occurrence 2.1 Back to citation occurrence 2.2 Back to citation occurrence 2.3 Back to citation occurrence 2.4 Back to citation occurrence 2.5 "El Santo Padre nombra al Arzobispo Metropolitano de Caracas" (in Spanish). Vatican News. 17 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  3. Back to citation occurrence 3.0 Back to citation occurrence 3.1 "Mons. Porras: Ser cardenal es un llamado a trabajar más por la paz en Venezuela". ACI Prensa (in Spanish). 9 October 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  4. Back to citation "Historia de la CEV". Conferencia Episcopal Venezolana (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  5. Back to citation "Annuncio di Concistoro per la creazione di nuovi Cardinali" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See. 9 October 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  6. Back to citation "Titular churches and diaconates of the new cardinals, 19.11.2016" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 19 November 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  7. Back to citation "Resignations and Appointments, 23.12.2017" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 23 December 2017. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
  8. Back to citation "Pope appoints three cardinals to help lead synod on Amazon". National Catholic Reporter. 9 September 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  9. Back to citation "Venezuela. Papa accetta rinuncia arcivescovo di Caracas, card. Urosa Savino". Vatican News (in Italian). 9 July 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  10. Back to citation "Resignations and Appointments, 11.11.2019" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 11 November 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  11. Back to citation "Papa Francisco nombra al Cardenal Porras Legado Pontifico para el Congreso Eucarístico Internacional de Quito" (in Spanish). Aciprensa.com. August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.