Agustín García-Gasco Vicente
Encyclopedia
Agustín García-Gasco y Vicente (February 12, 1931 – May 1, 2011) was a Spanish
Cardinal
of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Valencia from 1992 to 2009, and was elevated to the cardinalate
in 2007.
, García-Gasco y Vicente entered the seminary
of Madrid-Alcalá
in 1944 and was ordained
a priest
on 26 May 1956.
In 1985 he was made Auxiliary Bishop
of Madrid
, Spain
and Titular bishop
of Nona. On July 24, 1992 he became Archbishop
of Valencia. He retired as Archbishop of Valencia on 8 January 2009.
On 17 October 2007, Pope Benedict XVI
announced that he would make García-Gasco a Cardinal
. García-Gasco y Vicente was created and proclaimed Cardinal-Priest of San Marcello
in the consistory
at St. Peter's Basilica
on 24 November 2007.
He lost his right to voting in papal conclave on 12 February 2011, when he turned 80.
He died in his sleep on May 1, 2011, when in Rome
, on the morning of the Beatification
of Pope John Paul II. In November his official portrait was unveiled by the archdiocese of Valencia.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Valencia from 1992 to 2009, and was elevated to the cardinalate
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
in 2007.
Biography
Born in Corral de AlmaguerCorral de Almaguer
Corral de Almaguer is a Spanish municipality of Toledo province, in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. Its population is 5.549 and its surface is 329 km², with a density of 16.9 people/km²....
, García-Gasco y Vicente entered the seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
of Madrid-Alcalá
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madrid
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madrid was founded on 7 March 1885 by Pope Leo XIII. Initially, the territory that now makes up the Archdiocese was part of the Archdiocese of Toledo. It was raised to the level of an Archdiocese on 25 March 1964 by Pope Paul VI. Pope John Paul II gave the...
in 1944 and was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
a priest
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
on 26 May 1956.
In 1985 he was made Auxiliary Bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Titular bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Nona. On July 24, 1992 he became Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of Valencia. He retired as Archbishop of Valencia on 8 January 2009.
On 17 October 2007, Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
announced that he would make García-Gasco a Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
. García-Gasco y Vicente was created and proclaimed Cardinal-Priest of San Marcello
San Marcello al Corso
San Marcello al Corso is a church in Rome, Italy, devoted to Pope Marcellus I. It is located in via del Corso, the ancient via Lata, connecting Piazza Venezia to Piazza del Popolo....
in the consistory
Consistory
-Antiquity:Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together', just as the Greek synedrion ....
at St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...
on 24 November 2007.
He lost his right to voting in papal conclave on 12 February 2011, when he turned 80.
He died in his sleep on May 1, 2011, when in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, on the morning of the Beatification
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
of Pope John Paul II. In November his official portrait was unveiled by the archdiocese of Valencia.