Eduardo Martínez Somalo
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Eduardo Cardinal Martínez Somalo (born March 31, 1927 in Baños de Río Tobía , Rioja , Spain , † August 10, 2021 in Rome ) was a clergyman and Camerlengo (Cardinal Chamberlain) of the Roman Catholic Church . From 1992 to 2004 he was also Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and for Societies of Apostolic Life .
Life
Eduardo Martínez Somalo was the youngest of twelve children of a Spanish industrialist. After attending the seminary in Calahorra and La Calzada - Logroño , he studied at the Pontifical Spanish College in Rome and at the Pontifical Gregorian University , where he obtained a licentiate in theology and canon law .
On March 19, 1950, he was ordained a priest by Luigi Traglia , auxiliary bishop in the diocese of Rome . He then worked for a short time as a pastor in his home diocese of Calahorra y La Calzada-Logroño before he went back to Rome for his doctorate . On August 18, 1956, he was promoted to Dr. iur. can. doctorate and then worked as a secretary in the State Secretariat of the Holy See , where he was given responsibility for the Spanish department. In addition, he taught as a professor at the Pontifical Diplomatic Academy in Rome. On June 21, 1963 he was awarded the papal honorary title of Surplus Secret Chamberlain of His Holiness ( Monsignor ). In 1970, after a brief diplomatic stay in Great Britain , he moved to the Vatican State Secretariat as an assessor . Pope Paul VI also awarded him the honorary title of Honorary Prelate of His Holiness on May 14 of the same year . In addition to his work for the Curia , Martínez Somalo served in the hospital pastoral care in Rome .
Paul VI appointed him on November 12, 1975. the Titular Archbishop of Thagora and Apostolic Nuncio in Colombia . On December 13, 1975 he received the episcopal ordination from the then Cardinal Secretary of State Jean-Marie Villot in St. Peter's Basilica ; Co- consecrators were the substitute of the State Secretariat, Giovanni Benelli , and Francisco Álvarez Martínez , who was Bishop of Tarazona at the time. On May 5, 1979, Pope John Paul II appointed Somalo as a substitute for the Cardinal Secretary of State.
Somalo was admitted to the College of Cardinals on June 28, 1988 by Pope John Paul II as cardinal deacon with the title diakonia Santissimo Nome di Gesù and on July 1, 1988 as Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Order of the Sacraments and on January 21, 1992 as Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life . On April 5, 1993, John Paul II named Somalo Camerlengo of the Catholic Church. In 1996 he became the senior cardinal deacon cardinal protodeacon , which he remained for three years. In the consistory of January 9, 1999 Somalo opted into the cardinal class of cardinal priests while retaining his title diakonia , which was pro hac vice elevated to title church .
On February 11, 2004, Somalo resigned as Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life after reaching the age limit.
In his function as Camerlengo he was responsible for the official declaration of the death of Pope John Paul II on April 2, 2005 as well as the sealing of the private papal apartments and the study. Until the election of Benedict XVI. As Camerlengo he also administered the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican, the Lateran Basilica in Rome and the papal residence Castel Gandolfo on the hills outside Rome. In addition, until the beginning of the papal election , he headed a committee of four cardinals for about two weeks, which carried out the daily official business in the Vatican. He also organized the funeral ceremonies for the late Pope John Paul II.
On April 4, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI. the resignation, submitted by Cardinal Martínez Somalo for reasons of age, and appointed Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone Camerlengo. Somalo did not take part in the 2013 conclave because he was 80 years old.
Somalo died in Rome on August 10, 2021 at the age of 94.
honors and awards
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1972: Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
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1981: Grand Cross of the Portuguese Order of Christ
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1983: Grand Cross of the Order de Isabel la Católica
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1985: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
Fonts
- (Editor) Fraternal Life in Community: Congregavit Nos In Unum Christi Amor. Catholic Truth Society, London 1996, ISBN 0-8198-2658-8 .
Web links
- Martínez Somalo, Eduardo. In: Salvador Miranda : The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. ( Florida International University website), accessed April 10, 2013.
- Entry on Eduardo Martínez Somalo on catholic-hierarchy.org
- Entry on Eduardo Martínez Somalo on gcatholic.org (English)
- Biography of Eduardo Martínez Somalo (Vatican)
- Eduardo Martinez Somalo , in: Internationales Biographisches Archiv 27/2005 of July 9, 2005, in the Munzinger archive ( beginning of the article freely available)
Individual evidence
- ↑ El excamarlengo Eduardo Martínez Somalo muere a los 94 años. In: nuevecuatrouno.com. August 10, 2021, accessed August 10, 2021 (Spanish).
- ↑ Annuario Pontificio per l'anno 1964 , Città del Vaticano 1964, p. 1262.
- ↑ Annuario Pontificio per l'anno 1972 , Città del Vaticano 1972, p. 1733.
- ^ Rinuncia del Prefetto della Congregazione per gli Istituti di Vita Consacrata e le Società di Vita Apostolica e Nomina del Successore. In: Daily Bulletin. Holy See Press Office , February 11, 2004, accessed May 15, 2016 (Italian).
- ^ Rinuncia del Camerlengo di Santa Romana Chiesa e Nomina del Nuovo Camerlengo. In: Daily Bulletin. Holy See Press Office, April 4, 2007, accessed May 15, 2016 (Italian).
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Martínez Somalo, Eduardo |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Martínez Somalo, Eduardo Cardinal (full name) |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Spanish Cardinal Curia |
| BIRTH DATE | March 31, 1927 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Baños de Río Tobía , Spain |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 10, 2021 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Rome |