See Bogotá (emeritus) Term ended 8 July 2010 Nationality Colombian Successor Rubén Salazar Gómez Ordination 5 July 1956 Created cardinal 8 February 2001 | Installed 27 December 1994 Rank Cardinal-Priest Denomination Roman Catholic Church Predecessor Mario Revollo Bravo Consecration 11 July 1972 | |
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Born September 13, 1932 (age 84)
Cartago, Colombia ( 1932-09-13 ) Previous posts Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cali (1985–1994), Roman Catholic Diocese of Cúcuta (1971–1983) | ||
Pedro Rubiano Sáenz (born September 13, 1932) is a cardinal and Roman Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Bogotá in the Roman Catholic Church.
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Early life and ordination
Born in Cartago, Colombia, Rubiano Sáenz studied at the seminary in Popayán before his being ordained as a priest on 8 July 1956. He did pastoral ministry 1956–1971. Pastor and founder of the parishes of "San Pedro Claver" and of "Nuestra Señora de la Providencia". He served as treasurer and pastoral vicar of the archdiocese of Cali and vice-rector of the Major School "Santiago di Cali".
Bishop and Archbishop
In 1971, he was named Bishop of Cúcuta. He was consecrated only fifteen years after his ordination to the priesthood and just within the canonical limit, on 11 July 1972 in Cali, by Archbishop Angelo Palmas, nuncio to Colombia. He was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Cali in 1983 and was transferred to the metropolitan and primatial see of Bogotá, 27 December 1994. From 1990 to 1996, he chaired the Colombian Bishops' Conference.
Cardinal
Pope John Paul II proclaimed Rubiano Sáenz Cardinal-Priest of Trasfigurazione di Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo in the consistory of February 21, 2001. In 2002, he was elected president of the Colombian Episcopal Conference, and he was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI. Cardinal Rubiano Sáenz's resignation as Archbishop of Bogotá was accepted by Pope Benedict on 8 July 2010. He was apostolic administrator of the archdiocese until the installation of his successor, Archbishop Jesus Salazar Gómez, on August 13, 2010.
Abortion
Cardinal Rubiano Sáenz has pleaded with pro-lifers worldwide to join in a massive prayer effort to stop abortion from being legalized in the country. He has warned that the procedure leads to an automatic excommunication.
Colombian President
Cardinal Pedro Rubiano Saenz of Bogotá expressed his opposition against conservative President Álvaro Uribe running for re-election in 2010.
Chavez and FARC rebels
Cardinal Rubiano Saenz has said that the intervention by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez is not necessary for achieving an agreement over the exchange of prisoners with the Marxists rebel group FARC.
Honors
Sáenz has been honored with the following: