Stanisław Ryłko

infobox cardinalstyles
cardinal name=Stanisław Ryłko
dipstyle=His Eminence
offstyle=Your Eminence
See=none|

Stanisław Ryłko (born July 4, 1945) is a Polish Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 2007.

Biography

Stanisław Ryłko was born in Andrychów to Władysław and Aurelia Ryłko. He has two siblings: a brother, Władysław (d. 2007), and a sister, Jadwiga. He graduated from the Lyceum of "Maria Skłodowska-Curie" in Andrychów in 1963 before entering the seminary in Kraków, later obtaining his licentiate in moral theology. Ryłko then traveled to Rome to study at the Pontifical Gregorian University, from where he earned his doctorate in social sciences. He was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Karol Wojtyła on March 30, 1969, in Wawel Cathedral, and then did pastoral work in Poronin until 1971.

Ryłko served as vice-rector of the Kraków seminary before teaching practical theology the Pontifical Theological Academy of Kraków. He was secretary of the lay apostolate commission of the Polish Episcopal Conference as well. In 1987, he returned to Rome and was charged with the section for the youth of the Pontifical Council for the Laity; during this time, he organized of the World Youth Day of 1989 and of 1991. He was then transferred to the Polish section of the Vatican Secretariat of State in 1992.

On December 20, 1995, Ryłko was appointed Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Laity and Titular Archbishop of "Novica" by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on January 6, 1996 from John Paul II, with Archbishops Giovanni Re and Jorge Mejía serving as co-consecrators, in St. Peter's Basilica. As Secretary, Ryłko served as the second-highest official of that dicastery, successively under Eduardo Francisco Pironio and James Stafford.

He was later named President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity on October 4, 2003. Upon the death of John Paul II on April 2, 2005, Ryłko and all major Vatican officials, in accord with custom, automatically lost their positions during the "sede vacante". He was then confirmed as President of the Laity by Pope Benedict XVI on the following 21 April.

Pope Benedict created him Cardinal Deacon of "Sacro Cuore di Cristo Re" in the consistory of November 24, 2007. Ryłko remains eligible to participate in any future papal conclaves until his eightieth birthday on July 4, 2025.

On 12 June 2008 in addition to his main duties he was appointed by Benedict as a member of congregations in the Roman Curia [http://212.77.1.245/news_services/bulletin/news/22278.php?index=22278&lang=en] . These are: the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Congregation for Bishops and the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

Besides his native Polish, the Cardinal also speaks Italian, English, and German.

External links

* [http://www.catholic-pages.com/hierarchy/cardinals_bio.asp?ref=262 Catholic-Pages]
* [http://www.fiu.edu/~mirandas/bios2007.htm#Rylko Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church]
* [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/brylko.html Catholic-Hierarchy]