Juan Ignacio Larrea Holguín
Encyclopedia
Archbishop Emeritus Juan Ignacio Larrea Holguín (August 10, 1927, Buenos Aires
- August 27, 2006, Quito
), was archbishop
of Guayaquil
for ten years, and the first member of the prelature of Opus Dei
in Ecuador
. He was also a distinguished lawyer
, frequently consulted about Ecuadorian Civil law
and the author of more than 60 books about jurisprudence
.
Larrea Holguín was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina
, while his father performed a diplomatic service for Ecuador before the Argentine government. He received his primary and secondary education in Ecuador (La Salle school), Peru
and Argentina
, and was a founding student of the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador (PUCE), where he studied law
. He continued his legal education in Italy
, where he acquired the degree of Doctor in Law. Returning to Ecuador, he obtained the Doctorate in Law from the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador.
As a student in Italy, Larrea Holguín met Saint
Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer
, founder of Opus Dei
, and after this meeting, in 1949, he requested admission into this religious group. Owing to this, he became the first member of Opus Dei in Ecuador in 1952. He later received a Doctorate in Canon Law
from the Angelicum of Rome, and was ordained a Catholic priest in 1962.
Pope
Paul VI appointed him auxiliary bishop
of Quito in 1969, and in 1975 he was transferred to the diocese
of Ibarra
. In 1983, Pope John Paul II appointed him the first military bishop of Ecuador and in 1988 he moved him to Guayaquil
, where he served as Archbishop
from 1993. John Paul II accepted Larrea Holguín's resignation from episcopal duties in 2003, when Larrea Holguín was aged 75. Since his retirement, he dedicated himself to the service of Opus Dei, and to the creation of numerous religious and legal works. He died of a long illness that he suffered since 1996.
in various Ecuadorian universities, including the Catholic University of Guayaquil and Central University. He held the chair
in Civil law at the Catholic University of Quito for many years. He also educated people in the Institute of High National Studies, the Academy of Diplomacy and seminaries of Ibarra and Guayaquil
.
He was vice-president of the Electoral Supreme Court and adviser for the Presidency of the Republic, the Supreme Court of Justice and the Ministry of Agriculture
. He was a member of both the Ecuadorian delegation to the Conference of Chancellors of Santiago of Chile and the Commission for Constitutional Reforms that drafted the new Ecuadorian Constitution of 1998. In addition, he was on the advisory board of foreign affairs and in the academies for history and language. He was a lawyer of the Ecuadorian Institute of Social Security and of the Supreme Electoral Court.
and canonization
of Narcisa de Nobol. In 1980 he founded the seminary of Ibarra, which has created more than 120 priests. He fostered the creation of a tenement
for more than 5,000 families of the Imbabura Province
. As Military Bishop, he structured the religious service of the Military of Ecuador
. His pastoral work was exhaustive, preaching numerous spiritual retirements, visiting the parishes of his dioceses and overseeing the work of the dioceses' seminaries.
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
- August 27, 2006, Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
), was 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 Guayaquil
Guayaquil
Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
for ten years, and the first member of the prelature of Opus Dei
Opus Dei
Opus Dei, formally known as The Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei , is an organization of the Catholic Church that teaches that everyone is called to holiness and that ordinary life is a path to sanctity. The majority of its membership are lay people, with secular priests under the...
in Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
. He was also a distinguished lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, frequently consulted about Ecuadorian Civil law
Civil law (legal system)
Civil law is a legal system inspired by Roman law and whose primary feature is that laws are codified into collections, as compared to common law systems that gives great precedential weight to common law on the principle that it is unfair to treat similar facts differently on different...
and the author of more than 60 books about jurisprudence
Jurisprudence
Jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal theorists , hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions...
.
Biography
MonsignorMonsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
Larrea Holguín was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, while his father performed a diplomatic service for Ecuador before the Argentine government. He received his primary and secondary education in Ecuador (La Salle school), Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, and was a founding student of the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador (PUCE), where he studied law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
. He continued his legal education in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, where he acquired the degree of Doctor in Law. Returning to Ecuador, he obtained the Doctorate in Law from the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador.
As a student in Italy, Larrea Holguín met Saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer
Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer
Saint Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer was a Roman Catholic priest from Spain who founded Opus Dei, an organization of laypeople and priests dedicated to the teaching that everyone is called to holiness and that ordinary life is a...
, founder of Opus Dei
Opus Dei
Opus Dei, formally known as The Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei , is an organization of the Catholic Church that teaches that everyone is called to holiness and that ordinary life is a path to sanctity. The majority of its membership are lay people, with secular priests under the...
, and after this meeting, in 1949, he requested admission into this religious group. Owing to this, he became the first member of Opus Dei in Ecuador in 1952. He later received a Doctorate in Canon Law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
from the Angelicum of Rome, and was ordained a Catholic priest in 1962.
Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
Paul VI appointed him 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 Quito in 1969, and in 1975 he was transferred to the diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of Ibarra
Roman Catholic Diocese of Ibarra
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ibarra is a diocese located in the city of Ibarra in the Ecclesiastical province of Quito in Ecuador.-Leadership:*José Ignacio Checa y Barbo *Antonio Tommaso Yturalde...
. In 1983, Pope John Paul II appointed him the first military bishop of Ecuador and in 1988 he moved him to Guayaquil
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Guayaquil
The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Guayaquil is an archdiocese located in the city of Guayaquil in Ecuador.-Leadership:Bishops of Guayaquil*Francisco Xavier de Garaycos *Tomás Aguirre...
, where he served as 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...
from 1993. John Paul II accepted Larrea Holguín's resignation from episcopal duties in 2003, when Larrea Holguín was aged 75. Since his retirement, he dedicated himself to the service of Opus Dei, and to the creation of numerous religious and legal works. He died of a long illness that he suffered since 1996.
Career
Monsignor Larrea Holguín was a professorProfessor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
in various Ecuadorian universities, including the Catholic University of Guayaquil and Central University. He held the chair
Chair (official)
The chairman is the highest officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an...
in Civil law at the Catholic University of Quito for many years. He also educated people in the Institute of High National Studies, the Academy of Diplomacy and seminaries of Ibarra and Guayaquil
Guayaquil
Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
.
He was vice-president of the Electoral Supreme Court and adviser for the Presidency of the Republic, the Supreme Court of Justice and the Ministry of Agriculture
Politics of Ecuador
Politics of Ecuador takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Ecuador is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the...
. He was a member of both the Ecuadorian delegation to the Conference of Chancellors of Santiago of Chile and the Commission for Constitutional Reforms that drafted the new Ecuadorian Constitution of 1998. In addition, he was on the advisory board of foreign affairs and in the academies for history and language. He was a lawyer of the Ecuadorian Institute of Social Security and of the Supreme Electoral Court.
Honours
- Honorary Doctorate degree of the Catholic University of Guayaquil
- The "Tobar" prize from the municipality of Quito
- The national "Eugenio Espejo" prize of Ecuador
Legacy
Monsignor Larrea Holguín promoted the process of beatificationBeatification
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...
and canonization
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
of Narcisa de Nobol. In 1980 he founded the seminary of Ibarra, which has created more than 120 priests. He fostered the creation of a tenement
Tenement
A tenement is, in most English-speaking areas, a substandard multi-family dwelling, usually old, occupied by the poor.-History:Originally the term tenement referred to tenancy and therefore to any rented accommodation...
for more than 5,000 families of the Imbabura Province
Imbabura Province
Imbabura is a province in Ecuador. The capital is Ibarra. The people of the province speak Spanish and the Imbaburan Quechua language.Imbabura Volcano is located in the province. Best reached from the town of La Esperanza, the 4,609-meter-high mountain can be climbed in a single day.- Cantons...
. As Military Bishop, he structured the religious service of the Military of Ecuador
Military of Ecuador
The Military of Ecuador is under civilian control. The commander-in-chief is the President of Ecuador, currently Rafael Correa. The military of Ecuador has been involved in border disputes with Peru , and has provided Military Observers and troops to the United Nations since 1948.-Mission:The...
. His pastoral work was exhaustive, preaching numerous spiritual retirements, visiting the parishes of his dioceses and overseeing the work of the dioceses' seminaries.
Notable works
- Enciclopedia Jurídica Ecuatoriana (Ecuadorian Legal Encyclopedia)
- Manual elemental de derecho civil del Ecuador (Elemental Manual of Ecuadorian Civil Law)
- Manual de Derecho Internacional Privado Ecuatoriano (Manual of Ecuadorian Private International Law)
- 145 Años de Legislación (145 Years of Legislation)
- Repertorios de Jurisprudencia (Repertoires of Jurisprudence)
- Derecho Eclesiástico Ecuatoriano (Ecuadorian Ecclesiastic Law)
- Novena a San Josemaría Escrivá (Novena to Saint Josemaría Escrivá)
- Novena a Juan Pablo II (Novena to John Paul II)
- Novena a Monseñor Álvaro del Portillo (Novena to Monsignor Álvaro del Portillo)