Joaquín Varas

José Joaquín Matte Varas (born April 17, 1923 in Santiago de Chile ; † May 12, 2010 ibid) was military bishop of Chile from 1983 to 1995 .

Life

Joaquín Varas studied philosophy at the Pontifical Seminary of Santiago and theology at the Theological Faculty of the Catholic University of Chile . He was ordained a priest on September 20, 1947 by the Archbishop of Santiago de Chile, Cardinal José María Caro . From 1948 he was secretary to Cardinal José María Caro. From 1959 to 1969 he was Professor of Religion at the Finance School in Chile and from 1960 to 1973 Director of National Catechesis . From 1967 he was vicar and pastor of St. Crescente. In 1960 he was Vicar General of the Diocese of Copiapó . From 1967 to 1968 director of the Latin American Catechetical Institute. Varas was then a professor at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and at the Pontifical Seminary of Santiago.

Pope John Paul II appointed Joaquín Varas titular bishop of Alba in 1983 and appointed him military bishop of Chile. He received his episcopal ordination on December 30, 1983 in the Cathedral of Santiago by the Archbishop of Santiago de Chile, Juan Francisco Fresno Larraín ; Co- consecrators were the Archbishop of La Serena, Bernardino Piñera Carvallo , and his predecessor, Francisco Stock . His motto was Mihi vivere Christ est . He was a member of the Society for History and Geography, the Academy of Military History and the Society for Church History in Chile, and from 1985 to 1989 a member of the Committee on Military Pastoral Care in Rome.

He resigned from his post as military bishop on January 31, 1995 for health reasons. His resignation as titular bishop was granted by Pope John Paul II on March 7, 1998.

Web links

• Entry on Joaquín Varas on catholic-hierarchy.org ; accessed on December 28, 2016.

predecessor	Office	successor
Francisco Stock	Military Bishop of Chile 1983–1995	Gonzalo Duarte CCSS