Julián Herranz Casado

His Eminence

Julián Herranz Casado
President emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts
Cardinal Herranz Casado in 2012
Appointed19 December 1994
Term ended15 February 2007
PredecessorVincenzo Fagiolo
SuccessorFrancesco Coccopalmerio
Other post(s)Cardinal Priest of Sant'Eugenio (2014–present)
Previous post(s)
Orders
Ordination7 August 1955
by Juan Ricote Alonso
Consecration6 January 1991
by Pope John Paul II
Created cardinal21 October 2003
RankCardinal priest
Personal details
Born (1930-03-31) 31 March 1930 (age 94)
Baena, Spain
DenominationRoman Catholic
MottoDomine ut videam
(Latin for 'Lord, that I may see'); Luke 18:41

Julián Herranz Casado (born 31 March 1930) is a Spanish cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as President of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts in the Roman Curia from 1994 to 2007, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 2003 by Pope John Paul II.

He is one of two cardinals – along with Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne – who belong to Opus Dei; Herranz Casado is the organisation's highest-ranking member in the Church's hierarchy. He is also considered one of the foremost experts in canon law, and to have been one of the Vatican's most influential figures during the period shortly before the death of Pope John Paul II.

Biography

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Born in Baena in the Province of Córdoba, Herranz Casado joined Opus Dei in 1949 after reading a conspiratorial story about it as editor of a university newspaper.[1] He was ordained as a priest of Opus Dei on 7 August 1955 by Bishop Juan Ricote Alonso, after obtaining doctorates in medicine from the Universities of Barcelona and Navarra and in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome.[2] He taught canon law at the University of Navarra and travelled worldwide on behalf of Opus Dei until 1960, when he began to work for the Roman Curia.

During the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), Herranz Casado served as an assistant of study on the commissions for discipline of clergy and the Christian people. In 1984, he was appointed secretary for the Pontifical Commission for the Authentic Interpretation of the Code of Canon Law,[2] which in 1988 became the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts. On 15 December 1990, he was appointed titular bishop of Vertara by Pope John Paul II.[3] Herranz Casado received his episcopal consecration on 6 January 1991 from John Paul II, with Archbishops Giovanni Battista Re and Justin Francis Rigali serving as co-consecrators, in St. Peter's Basilica. On 9 December 1994, he was named President of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts and raised to the rank of archbishop.[4]

Styles of
Julián Herranz Casado
Reference styleHis Eminence
Spoken styleYour Eminence
Informal styleCardinal
SeeVertara (titular)

He was created Cardinal-Deacon of S. Eugenio by John Paul II in the consistory of 21 October 2003.[2]

According to Vatican journalist Sandro Magister, by the end of 2004, Herranz Casado was "constantly gaining influence" in the internal affairs of the Vatican.[citation needed] Along with Joseph Ratzinger, Angelo Sodano, and the Pope's private secretary, Archbishop Stanisław Dziwisz, Herranz Casado is believed to have been largely responsible for leading the Curia at times when the Pope was incapacitated by illness.[5] Herranz finds conspiracy theories about Opus Dei particularly offensive, claiming that it has "no hidden agenda. The only policy is the message of Christ".[6]

Upon the death of John Paul II on 2 April 2005, Herranz Casado and all major Vatican officials automatically lost their positions. Herranz Casado was confirmed as president of Legislative Texts by Pope Benedict XVI on the following 21 April.[7] He was one of the cardinal electors in the 2005 papal conclave. Though not generally considered a strong candidate for the papacy himself, he was described as a highly influential insider with the potential to play the role of a "kingmaker" at the conclave. It has been reported that, both before and after Pope John Paul's death, Herranz convened meetings of cardinals at a villa in Grottarossa, a suburb of Rome.[8] Pope Benedict XVI named Francesco Coccopalmerio to replace Herranz as President of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts on 15 February 2007.[9]

In March 2012 Pope Benedict XVI established a Commission of Cardinals to investigate leaks of reserved and confidential documents on television, in newspapers, and in other communications media (in what is known as the Vatileaks scandal). It first met on Tuesday, 24 April 2012. Herranz served as the chair, and was accompanied by Cardinals Jozef Tomko and Salvatore De Giorgi.[10]

Having been a cardinal-deacon for ten years, he was promoted to cardinal-priest by Pope Francis on 12 June 2014.[11]

References

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  1. ^ TIME Magazine. The Ways of Opus Dei 13 April 2006
  2. ^ a b c "Herranz Card. Julián". Holy See Press Office. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  3. ^ Acta Apostolicae Sedis (PDF). Vol. LXXXIII. 1991. p. 109. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  4. ^ Acta Apostolicae Sedis (PDF). Vol. LXXXVII. 1995. pp. 120, 213. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  5. ^ Chiesa. Ruling in the Shadow of John Paul II: The Vatican Four 2005 Archived 25 April 2005 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ TIME Magazine. Power and Mystery 29 September 2002
  7. ^ "Nomine e Confirme nella Curia Romana, 21.04.2005" (Press release) (in Italian). 21 April 2005. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  8. ^ Times Online UK. Lobbying Begins for Papal Rivals 10 April 2005
  9. ^ Allen Jr., John L. (16 February 2007). "Opus Dei down to one top Vatican official; Benedict's ties to Communion and Liberation deepen". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  10. ^ "Notificazione della Segreteria du Stato". Holy See Press Office. Archived from the original on 26 August 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  11. ^ "Assegnazione del titolo presbiterale ad alcuni cardinali diaconi creati nel consistoro del 21 ottobre 2003" (in Italian). 12 June 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
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Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts
25 January 1983 – 19 December 1994 		Succeeded by
Titular see created — TITULAR —
Titular Bishop of Vertara
15 December 1990 – 19 December 1994 		Himself as Titular Archbishop
Himself as Titular Bishop — TITULAR —
Titular Archbishop of Vertara
19 December 1994 – 21 October 2003 		Succeeded by
Preceded by President of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts
19 December 1994 – 15 February 2007 		Succeeded by
Preceded by President of the Disciplinary Commission of the Roman Curia
3 December 1999 – 11 May 2010 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Cardinal-Deacon of Sant'Eugenio
21 October 2003 – 12 June 2014 		Himself as Cardinal-Priest
Himself as Cardinal-Deacon Cardinal-Priest 'pro hac vice' of Sant'Eugenio
12 June 2014 – 		Incumbent
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