Santos Abril y Castelló facts for kids

Quick facts for kids His Eminence Santos Abril y Castelló
Cardinal Archpriest emeritus, Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore
The cardinal in 2013.
Church	Roman Catholic Church
Appointed	21 November 2011
Reign ended	28 December 2016
Predecessor	Bernard Francis Law
Successor	Stanislaw Rylko
Other posts	Cardinal priest of San Ponziano, Titular Archbishop of Tamada
Orders
Ordination	19 March 1960
Consecration	16 June 1985 by Agostino Casaroli
Created Cardinal	18 February 2012
Rank	Cardinal deacon (2012–22) Cardinal priest (2022–present)
Personal details
Birth name	Santos Abril y Castelló
Born	(1936-09-21) 21 September 1936 (age 88) Alfambra, Spain
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Previous post	Apostolic Nuncio to Bolivia (1985–1989) Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to Cameroon (1989–1996) Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to Gabon (1989–1996) Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to Equatorial Guinea (1989–1996) Apostolic Nuncio to Yugoslavia (1996–2000) Apostolic Nuncio to Argentina (2000–2003) Apostolic Nuncio to Slovenia (2003–2011) Apostolic Nuncio to Bosnia and Herzegovina (2003–2005) Apostolic Nuncio to Macedonia (2003–2011) Vice-Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber (2011–2012)
Motto	Pro Ecclesia cum Petro
Coat of arms

Styles of Santos Abril y Castelló
Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal

Santos Abril y Castelló (born 21 September 1935) is a Spanish Cardinal in the Catholic Church. He worked as a diplomat for the Holy See (the central government of the Catholic Church). He also held important jobs in the Roman Curia (the Pope's administration). From 2011 to 2016, he was the Archpriest of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, a major church in Rome.

Early Life and Education

Santos Abril y Castelló was born in Alfambra, Spain, on 21 September 1935. He became a priest on 19 March 1960. After that, he went to Rome to continue his studies. He earned a special degree in social sciences and another in church law. He also attended a special school for future diplomats of the Holy See.

Diplomatic Career

After his studies, Santos Abril y Castelló joined the Holy See's diplomatic service. This meant he represented the Pope and the Vatican in different countries.

• He worked in Pakistan and Turkey.
• On 29 April 1985, he became the Pope's representative (called an Apostolic Nuncio) to Bolivia. He was also named an Archbishop.
• Later, he served as the Pope's representative in Cameroon, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea starting in 1989.
• In 1996, he became the Nuncio to Yugoslavia.
• In 2000, he was appointed Nuncio to Argentina.
• From 2003, he served as Nuncio to Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Macedonia.

Important Roles in the Vatican

Santos Abril y Castelló took on several key roles within the Vatican's administration.

• On 22 January 2011, Pope Benedict XVI named him the Vice-Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber. This role involves helping to manage the Vatican's finances and overseeing the process when a new Pope is elected.
• On 2 April 2011, he became a member of the Congregation for Bishops, a group that helps the Pope choose new bishops.
• On 21 November 2011, he was named the Archpriest of the Basilica of St. Mary Major. This means he was in charge of one of the most important churches in Rome.

Becoming a Cardinal

• On 18 February 2012, Pope Benedict XVI made him a Cardinal. This is a very high rank in the Catholic Church, just below the Pope. He became a Cardinal-Deacon of a church called San Ponziano in Rome.
• As a Cardinal, he was appointed to other important groups, including the Congregation for the Causes of Saints (which looks into people who might become saints) and the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (which helps spread the Catholic faith around the world).

Papal Conclave and Later Roles

• In 2013, Santos Abril y Castelló was one of the Cardinals who voted to choose a new Pope in the 2013 papal conclave. This was the election where Pope Francis was chosen.
• Some news reports suggested he might even be a candidate for Pope himself because he had experience both in Latin America and in the Vatican.
• In 2014, he was chosen to be part of a special group of Cardinals who look after the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR), often called the Vatican Bank. He was later elected as the president of this group.
• When he turned 80, he no longer had the right to vote in a papal election.
• On 28 December 2016, Pope Francis accepted his resignation as Archpriest of the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
• On 4 March 2022, his rank was changed from Cardinal-Deacon to Cardinal-Priest.

See also

In Spanish: Santos Abril para niños