Appointments

Guatemalan Cardinal becomes member of the Dicastery

Pope Francis appoints Álvaro Leonel Ramazzini Cardinal Imeri, Bishop of Huehuetenango, Guatemala as member of the Dicastery
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On February 21st, the Holy See Press office released a statement of Pope Francis’ appointment of Álvaro Leonel Ramazzini Cardinal Imeri, Bishop of Huehuetenango, Guatemala as member of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life.

Cardinal Ramazzini was ordained priest on June 27, 1971 in the Cathedral of Guatemala and was appointed to the College of Cardinals on October 5, 2019. Throughout his career he received many assignments within the Guatemalan Episcopal Conference, where he was president from 2006 to 2008 and has participated and presided over various commissions. He has made a significant contribution in the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM): he took part in the general conferences of 1992 in Santo Domingo and in 2007 in Aparecida.

Often referred to as a literal “frontier bishop”, Card. Ramazzini has dedicated his work to social justice issues in Guatemala. He has been a champion in promoting peace, especially during Guatemala’s civil war, and being a voice for indigenous Mayan descendants, migrants, and the poor supporting them in their claims to their rights against injustice and abuse. The Cardinal has also received wide national recognition and several international awards for his work in favor of human rights. In 2011, he received the “Pacem in terris” prize, which is awarded “to honor a person who is distinguished in peace and justice, not only in his own country but in the world”.

His Eminence Ramazzini is joining our Dicastery’s members and consultors: eight cardinals, two bishops, one religious, ten priests and 38 laypeople including three married couples and fifteen women from different parts of the world.

21 February 2020