Pedro Rubiano Sáenz Explained

Type:Cardinal
Honorific-Prefix:His Eminence
Pedro Rubiano Sáenz
Cardinal, Archbishop of Bogotá
See:Bogotá
Enthroned:27 December 1994
Ended:8 July 2010
Predecessor:Mario Revollo Bravo
Successor:Rubén Salazar Gómez
Ordination:5 July 1956
Ordained By:Julio Caicedo Téllez
Consecration:11 July 1971
Consecrated By:Angelo Palmas
Cardinal:8 February 2001
Rank:Cardinal Priest
Created Cardinal By:Pope John Paul II
Birth Date:13 September 1932
Birth Place:Cartago, Colombia
Death Place:Bogotá, Colombia
Religion:Catholic Church
Coat Of Arms:Escudo Pedro Rubiano Saenz.svg
Motto:Caritas Christi urget us
Latin: The Love of Christ compels us
Cardinal Name:Pedro Rubiano Sáenz
Dipstyle:His Eminence
Offstyle:Your Eminence
Relstyle:Cardinal
See:Bogotá

Pedro Rubiano Sáenz (pronounced as /es/; 13 September 1932 – 15 April 2024) was a Colombian prelate of the Catholic Church who was Archbishop of Bogotá from 1995 to 2010. He was Bishop of Cúcuta from 1972 to 1983, and Archbishop of Cali from 1985 to 1994 after two years as coadjutor there. Pope John Paul II made him a cardinal in 2001.

Biography

Early life and ordination

Pedro Rubiano Sáenz was born in Cartago, Colombia, on 13 September 1933, the fourth of six sons born to Pedro Rubiano and Tulia Sáenz. He attended the Colegio de María Auxiliadora and the Colegio Ramírez, then the Diocesan College of Santa Teresita in the Bitaco neighborhood, and then at the minor seminaries of Cali and Popayán. He studied at the seminary in Popayán and the Université Laval in Quebec, where he earned his licentiate in sacred theology. He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Cali on 8 July 1956 from Bishop Julio Caicedo y Téllez. He then studied at Catholic University in Washington and at the Institute for Social Studies of Santiago de Chile. He fulfilled a variety of pastoral assignments in the 15 years following his ordination, including chaplain of the Marco Fidel Suárez Military Aviation School, the Santa Librada national school, and the Nuestra Señora de los Remedios clinic. He was pastor and founder of the parishes of San Pedro Claver and Nuestra Señora de la Providencia. By 1971 he was pastoral vicar of the archdiocese and vice-rector of the Major School "Santiago di Cali".

Bishop and archbishop

On 2 June 1971, Pope Paul VI named him bishop of Cúcuta.[1] He received his episcopal consecration on 11 July 1972 in Cali from Archbishop Angelo Palmas, Nuncio to Colombia. Pope John Paul II appointed him Coadjutor Archbishop of Cali on 26 March 1983[2] and he succeeded as archbishop there on 7 February 1985.

From 1983 to 1989 he was vice president of the International Commission for Migration and Refugees based in Geneva.[3] From April 1990 to January 1991, he was apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Popayán.

Pope John Paul transferred him to the metropolitan see of Bogotá on 27 December 1994.[4] He was installed there on 11 February 1995.[3] On 12 October 1995, he was made a member of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants.[5] One of his most significant initiatives was the creation of the Archdiocesan Food Bank, which continued to operate as long as he lived.

On 4 August 1995, he established the National Conciliation Commission in the hope that a broad and diverse coalition might help resolve Colombia's political divisions and end armed conflict.[3]

Rubiano Sáenz was elected to a three-year term as president of the Colombian Bishops Conference in 1990 and re-elected in 1993.

Cardinal

Pope John Paul made Rubiano Sáenz Cardinal-Priest of Trasfigurazione di Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo in the consistory of 21 February 2001.[6] He was made a member of the Congregation for Catholic Education on 15 May 2001[7] and his membership on the Pontifical Council for Migrants was renewed on 18 May 2001.[8]

In 2002, he was elected to another term as president of the Colombian Bishops Conference. He was also president of the economic committee of the Episcopal Council of Latin America (CELAM) from May 2003 to July 2007.

In 2003, he oversaw the creation of three new suffragan dioceses from the territory of the Archdiocese of Bigotá: Engativá, Fontibón and Soacha.

Rubiano Sáenz was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI.[9]

In 2006, as Colombia's Constitutional Court considered an abortion rights case, Rubiano Sáenz warned of the danger posed by a Latin American country breaking from the region's universal ban on abortion. He wrote: "The loss of one country will substantially weaken the pro-life fabric of all of Latin America. What begins as a small hole will end as a huge tear allowing much evil to come in."[10] In May, after the Court ruled that abortion could not be punished in certain cases, he wrote that "decriminalizing abortion, even in the cases indicated by the ruling of the Constitutional Court, does not change either the seriousness of the fact or the moral judgment of abortion.... What is legal is not always moral."[11]

On 31 January 2008, he mocked the idea that achieving peace between the government of Colombia and the FARC rebels required the intervention of Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez. He said: "The only thing left is to kneel down before Chavez! I believe we Colombians have dignity."[12]

In July 2009, he advised Colombian president Álvaro Uribe against seeking a third term as president. He said: "Two terms is a lot. He has carried out important work for the good of the country and for peace. It would be better for him if after finishing his second term he left office and later on ran again."[13]

Pope Benedict accepted Rubiano Sáenz's resignation as Archbishop of Bogotá on 8 July 2010,[14] three years after he had submitted it.

Rubiano Sáenz was apostolic administrator of the archdiocese until the installation of his successor, Archbishop Rubén Salazar Gómez, on 13 August 2010.

Death

Rubiano Sáenz died at his residence in Bogotá on 15 April 2024 at the age of 91.[15] [3]

Honors

Rubiano Sáenz was honoured with the following:

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Acta Apostolicae Sedis. 1971 . LXIII . 705 . 16 April 2024 .
  2. Book: Acta Apostolicae Sedis. 1983 . LXXV . 395 . 16 April 2024 .
  3. News: 17 April 2024 . es . Atención: falleció el cardenal Pedro Rubiano Sáenz a sus 91 años . El Colombiano . 15 April 2024 . 15 April 2024 . live. https://web.archive.org/web/20240415175449/https://www.elcolombiano.com/colombia/murio-cardenal-pedro-rubiano-saenz-en-bogota-IB24256916.
  4. Book: Acta Apostolicae Sedis. 1995 . LXXXVII . 213 . 16 April 2024 .
  5. Book: Acta Apostolicae Sedis. 1995 . LXXXVII . 1168 . 16 April 2024 .
  6. Web site: Concistoro Ordinario Pubblico per la creazione dei nuovi Cardinali . . 21 February 2001 . . . Assegnazione dei Titoli o delle Diaconie ai nuovi Cardinali . it . Ordinary Public Consistory for the creation of new Cardinals . Homily . 16 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191120195328/https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/it/homilies/2001/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_20010221_concistoro.html . 20 November 2019 . live.
  7. 16 April 2024 . it . 15 May 2001 . Holy See Press Office . Rinunce e Nomine, 15.05.2001 .
  8. 16 April 2024 . it . 18 May 2001 . Holy See Press Office . Rinunce e Nomine, 18.05.2001 .
  9. Web site: Elenco degli Em.mi Cardinali che entrano in Conclave secondo il loro rispettivo ordine di precedenza (Vescovi, Presbiteri, Diaconi) . 18 April 2005 . . it . List of the Eminent Cardinals entering into Conclave according to their respective order of precedence (Bishops, Priests, Deacons) . 16 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140309025237/https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2005/04/18/0225/00461.html . 9 March 2014 . live.
  10. Web site: Cardinal Pleads for Worldwide Prayers to Protect Colombia from Abortion . 3 August 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101120223842/http://cardinalrating.com/cardinal_91__article_3451.htm . 20 November 2010 . dead .
  11. Web site: El aborto se sanciona con excomunión, advierte Cardenal colombiano . 3 August 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101120223136/http://cardinalrating.com/cardinal_91__article_3922.htm . 20 November 2010 . dead .
  12. News: Catholic News Agency . 17 April 2024 . Colombian cardinal: Chavez is not necessary to achieve agreement with FARC . 4 February 2008 .
  13. News: Catholic News Agency . Colombian bishops call on Uribe to consider not running for re-election . 17 April 2024 . 8 July 2009.
  14. 16 April 2024 . Holy See Press Office . Rinunce e Nomine, 08.07.2010. it . 8 July 2010 .
  15. News: Murió el cardenal Pedro Rubiano Sáenz . 15 April 2024. es. El Nuevo Siglo . 15 April 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240415175344/https://www.elnuevosiglo.com.co/nacion/murio-el-cardenal-pedro-rubiano-saenz . 15 April 2024 . live.