- Alfonso López Trujillo
Alfonso Cardinal López Trujillo (
8 November 1935 –19 April 2008 ) was aColombia nCardinal Bishop of theRoman Catholic Church and president of thePontifical Council for the Family .infobox cardinalstyles|right cardinal name=Alfonso Cardinal López Trujillo
dipstyle=His Eminence
offstyle=Your Eminence
relstyle=Cardinal
See=Frascati (suburbicarian see ),Medellín (emeritus )
deathstyle=not applicable|Biography
Born in Villahermosa, Tolima, López Trujillo moved to
Bogotá as a young boy and attendedNational University of Colombia before he entered theseminary in order to become a priest.cite web|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article3798472.ece|title=Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo Obituary|publisher=Times Online|accessdate=2008-05-06] Trujillo completed his studies inRome , earning a doctorate in philosophy from thePontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) and completing studies insociology ,anthropology andMarxism .He was ordained as a priest on 13 November 1960 and, after studying in Rome for an additional two years, returned to Bogotá where he taught philosophy at the local seminary for four years. In 1968, he organized the new pastoral department of the Archdiocese of Bogotá, and from 1970 to 1972, he was Vicar General of the archdiocese. In early 1971,
Pope Paul VI appointed him titular archbishop of Boseta and Auxiliary of Bogotá. [ [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/blotr.html Alfonso Cardinal López Trujillo [Catholic-Hierarchy ] ]In 1972, López Trujillo was elected general secretary of the
Latin American Episcopal Conference , a post he held until 1984. Well known for his dislike and distrust of the radical social agenda espoused by many Latin American priests and bishops, in this capacity he led the opposition toliberation theology and succeeded in watering down or reversing many of the reforms made in that forum. [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/22/catholicism.colombia Obituary: Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo | World news | The Guardian ] ] One of his major accomplishments during that period was to organize the third general conference of Latin American Bishops in 1979, in whichPope John Paul II participated. That same year, he became Archbishop of Medellín, where he began a long association withPablo Escobar . [ [http://www.natcath.com/NCR_Online/archives/060200/060200a.htm Cover story: These paths lead to Rome ] ]López Trujillo was named Cardinal by John Paul II in the consistory of 2 February 1983, becoming the youngest cardinal until 1991. He was promoted to the order of
Cardinal Bishop s on 17 November 2001. In 1990, López Trujillo was named president of thePontifical Council for the Family . He assumed the office in 1991 but retained the title ofArchbishop emeritus ofMedellín .As president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, López Trujillo was a highly influential proponent of conservative and traditionalist values, particularly on sexual matters and on liberation theology. He advocated
abstinence as an effective solution in preventing the spread ofHIV . He reaffirmed the Church's teaching that the use ofcondom s is immoral, and controversially sought to discourage condom use among Catholics by stating that they are ineffective in preventing the transmission of HIV — a claim that was opposed and ridiculed by eminent scientists and by theWorld Health Organization . [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/22/catholicism.colombia Obituary: Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo | World news | The Guardian ] ]He was also a strong opponent of
gay marriage [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4473001.stm BBC NEWS | Europe | Vatican condemns Spain gay bill ] ] ;abortion - a stance that won him much praise and support from groups such as theSociety for the Protection of Unborn Children [ [http://www.spuc.org.uk/news/releases/2008/april21 SPUC pays tribute to Cardinal López Trujillo ] ] ; and embryological research, warning Catholics involved in the creation ofembryos as part ofIVF treatment for infertility that they would be excommunicated. [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/22/catholicism.colombia Obituary: Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo | World news | The Guardian ] ]López Trujillo participated in the
2005 Papal conclave , which electedJoseph Cardinal Ratzinger , who took the namePope Benedict XVI . López Trujillo was considered as one of the cardinals considered "papabile " at the 2005 conclave. Upon the death of the pope, all major Vatican officials automatically lost their positions during thesede vacante , but López Trujillo was later reappointed to the office by Pope Benedict XVI on 21 April 2005. [ [http://www.fiu.edu/~mirandas/bios-l.htm#Lopez2 The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church - Biographies - L ] ]Following a four-week hospitalization, Cardinal López Trujillo died on 19 April 2008 in
Rome , aged 72, due to arespiratory infection arising as a complication ofdiabetes . His funeral Mass was held on April 23, 2008 inSt. Peter's Basilica .Angelo Cardinal Sodano served as principle celebrant of the Mass, andPope Benedict XVI delivered the homily and performed the final absolution. [ [http://catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=12399 "Cardinal Trujillo, President of Pontifical Council for the Family, passes away". "Catholic News Agency". 19 Apr 2008.] ]References
External links
* [http://www.catholic-pages.com/hierarchy/cardinals_bio.asp?ref=45 Biography at catholic-pages.com]
* [http://www.fiu.edu/~mirandas/bios-l.htm#Lopez2 Biography at The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church] web site
* [http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_25071968_humanae-vitae_en.html Humanae Vitae] "On the Regulation of Birth", available on the Vatican's website
* [http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/family/documents/rc_pc_family_doc_20031201_family-values-safe-sex-trujillo_en.html Family Values Versus Safe Sex] , by Cardinal Trujillo, available on the Vatican's website
* Obituary: [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/22/catholicism.colombia Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo: Hardline Colombian Roman Catholic leader opposed to condoms and abortion]
* Obituary: [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/04/21/wcardinal121.xml Anti-abortion cardinal Lopez Trujillo dies]
* Obituary: [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/cardinal-alfonso-lopez-trujillo-arch-conservative-in-the-vatican-and-staunch-ally-of-john-paul-ii-813356.html Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo: Arch conservative in the Vatican and staunch ally of John Paul II]
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