Most Rev. Antonio Mª Cardinal Rouco Varela

Cardinal Antonio María Rouco Varela, Archbishop Emeritus of Madrid, was born on August 20, 1936 in Villalba (Lugo). He entered the Seminary of Mondoñedo and continued studying Theology at the Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca.

He was ordained to the priesthood on March 28, 1959 in Salamanca. That year he moved to Munich to study Law and Theology. He received his PhD in Canon Law in 1964.

He was the fundamental theology and canon law professor at the Seminary of Mondoñedo and at the Institute of Canon Law at the Universität München. He taught public ecclesiastical law at the Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca. He was granted a Chair in fundamental canon law in 1971 and named vice-rector in 1972.

He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Santiago de Compostela by the pope Paul VI in 1976. On October 31 of the same year he was ordained Bishop. In 1984 he was named Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela by the pope John Paul II and promoted to Archbishop of Madrid in 1994. He was proclaimed Cardinal on January 28, 1998. He is member of the Congregation for Catholic Education and the Congregation for the Clergy; and of the Pontifical Council for Culture, the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts and Cor Unum; He is also member of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature. In 2004 he was named member of the Council of Cardinals for the Study of Organizational and Economic Affairs of the Holy See.

On August 28, 2014 his resignation from the diocese of Madrid on grounds of age was accepted by the pope Francis.

He is member of the International Association of Canon Law and the Association of Spanish Canonists. He is Doctor honoris causa by the Facultad de Teología of the Universidad de Navarra, by the Universidad Católica Mar de Plata, Argentina, by the Universidad CEU San Pablo and by the Universidad de Burgos. In 1996, the pope John Paul II nominated him Magnum Cancellarium of the Facultad de Teología San Dámaso in Madrid.

• Cardinal and Archbishop Emeritus of Madrid.
• Professor of Fundamental Canon Law.
• Doctor honoris causa by the Universidad Católica Mar del Plata (Argentina), by the Universidad CEU San Pablo, by Universidad de Burgos and by the Facultad de Teología of the Universidad de Navarra.