Eduardo Martínez Somalo | |
|---|---|
| Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church | |
.jpg) Martínez Somalo in 1987 | |
| See | Thagora (titular) |
| Appointed | 5 April 1993 |
| Term ended | 4 April 2007 |
| Predecessor | Sebastiano Baggio |
| Successor | Tarcisio Bertone |
| Other post | Cardinal Priest ofSantissimo Nome di Gesù (1999–2021) |
| Previous posts |
|
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 19 March 1950 by Luigi Traglia |
| Consecration | 13 December 1975 by Jean-Marie Villot |
| Created cardinal | 28 June 1988 byPope John Paul II |
| Rank |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | Eduardo Martínez Somalo (1927-03-31)31 March 1927 |
| Died | 10 August 2021(2021-08-10) (aged 94) |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Alma mater | |
| Coat of arms |  |
| Styles of Eduardo Martínez Somalo | |
|---|---|
| |
| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
Eduardo Martínez Somalo (Spanish pronunciation:[eˈðwaɾ.ðomaɾˈtineθ/maɾˈtinessoˈmalo]; 31 March 1927 – 10 August 2021) was a Spanishprelate of theCatholic Church who spent most of his career in theRoman Curia, first in theSecretariat of State from 1956 to 1975 and from 1979 to 1988, and then leading two of its principaldicasteries: theCongregation for Divine Worship from 1988 to 1992 and theCongregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life from 1992 to 2004.
He was made acardinal in 1988 and held the post ofCamerlengo of the Holy Roman Church from 1993 to 2007, serving as administrator of the Holy See from the death ofPope John Paul II to the election of Pope Benedict XVI.
Earlier in his career he was theapostolic nuncio to Colombia from 1975 to 1979.
Martínez Somalo was born inBaños de Rio Tobia inLa Rioja. He studied at the seminary of theDiocese of Calahorra y La Calzada-Logroño.[1] He continued his studies in Rome at the Pontifical Spanish College and thePontifical Gregorian University, earning licentiates in theology and canon law.[2]
He was ordained a priest on 19 March 1950 and worked for several years in the administration of theDiocese of Calahorra and teaching at the Instituto Marco Fabio Quintiliano.[3][1] To prepare for a diplomatic career he entered thePontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in 1954.[4]
On 18 August 1956 he received a doctorate in canon law from thePontifical Lateran University; his thesis topic was the Spanish concordat of 1953.[1] He then entered theRoman Curia, serving in theSecretariat of State, where he was responsible for the Spanish section. He also taught at the Ecclesiastical Academy from 1957 to 1970.[3]
He served for several months in theApostolic Delegation to Great Britain in 1970, but in October of that year returned to the Secretariat of State.[5]
On 12 November 1975,Pope Paul VI appointed him titular archbishop ofThagora andApostolic Nuncio to Colombia.[6] He received his episcopal consecration on 13 December.[5]
Pope John Paul II named him Substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State on 5 May 1979.[7]
Pope John Paul announced on 30 May 1988[8] that he would make him a cardinal and did so on 28 June 1988, assigning him as a cardinal deacon the title ofSantissimo Nome di Gesù.[9] He opted to join the order of cardinal priests on 9 January 1999.[10] He was thought a likely candidate to head the Secretariat of State when the post became vacant in December 1990, but was probably not appointed because the Polish pope thought it best to fill the position with an Italian.[11]
He was prefect of theCongregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments from 1 July 1988[12] to 21 January 1992 and prefect of theCongregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life from 21 January 1992[13] to 11 February 2004, when he resigned.[14][15] While in that post, he collaborated with other senior prelates to obtain the release of former Chilean dictator Gen.Augusto Pinochet from house arrest in Great Britain in 2000.[16][17] In 2001, he responded to reports that his congregation had failed to respond to reports of abuse of nuns by priests in Africa and many other countries by appointing a committee to investigate, but declined to comment publicly.[17][18][19][20] During his tenure as prefect his congregation issued a ruling that transsexuals be prohibited from entering religious orders and that anyone who had undergone sex-change surgery be expelled or suspended from their order.[17] A letter outlining the policy was sent to the heads of religious orders, but otherwise kept secret.[21][22]
In April 2010, a journalistic investigation identified Martínez Somalo as one of several senior curial officials who had supportedMarcial Maciel, the founder of theLegion of Christ who was expelled from the priesthood in 2006, despite numerous charges of serious misconduct against him. Martínez Somalo accepted cash payments from Maciel while heading the dicastery responsible for "investigating any complaints about religious orders or their leaders". He took no action on 1997 reports that Maciel had abused nine seminarians. Martínez Somalo refused to be interviewed about Maciel and the Legion.[23][24]
On 5 April 1993 Martínez was namedCamerlengo of the Holy Roman Church,[25] an office of special importance when the papacy is vacant. He held that post until 4 April 2007.[26] He was the acting sovereign ofVatican City for 17 days from the death ofPope John Paul II to the election ofPope Benedict XVI.[27]
As camerlengo, Martínez Somalo was responsible for verifying the death of Pope John Paul. Just minutes after his death, he performed the traditional ritual, proclaimed he had died, and removed his ring.[28] He presided at certain ofhis funeralrites.[17] On 8 April, Martínez Somalo readPsalm 41:2 before the coffin was closed and the Mass of Requiem begun.[29] On 16 April, at the last meeting of theCollege of Cardinals before the conclave to elect a new pope began on 18 April, Martínez Somalo used a silver hammer to crush John Paul'sring and destroyed his lead seal as well.[30][31]
He had bypass surgery in 2003 and a heart attack in July 2021. He died at his home in Vatican City on 10 August 2021 at the age of 94.[32][2][27]
When Martínez Somalo, a Spaniard, became head of the congregation overseeing religious in 1994, Maciel dispatched this priest to Martínez Somalo's home. The young priest carried an envelope thick with cash. "I didn't bat an eye," he recalled. "I went up to his apartment, handed him the envelope, said goodbye. ... It was a way of making friends, insuring certain help if it were needed, oiling the cogs."
| Diplomatic posts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Apostolic Nuncio to Colombia 12 November 1975 – 5 May 1979 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Assessor for General Affairs 1970 – 12 November 1975 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Substitute for General Affairs 5 May 1979 – 23 March 1988 | Succeeded by |
| Catholic Church titles | ||
| Preceded by Carlo Livraghi | Titular Archbishop of Thagora 12 November 1975 – 28 June 1988 | Succeeded by Cipriano Calderón Polo |
| Preceded by | Cardinal Deacon of Santissimo Nome di Gesù 28 June 1988 – 9 January 1999 | Gianfranco Ghirlanda |
| Preceded by | Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments 1 July 1988 – 21 January 1992 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Prefect of Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and for Societies of Apostolic Life 21 January 1992 – 11 February 2004 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church 5 April 1993 – 4 April 2007 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Cardinal Protodeacon 29 January 1996 – 9 January 1999 | Succeeded by |
| Himself as Cardinal-Deacon | Cardinal Priest 'pro hac vice' of Santissimo Nome di Gesù 9 January 1999 – 10 August 2021 | Succeeded by Absolved |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
