José Freire Falcão
José Freire Falcão (Brazilian Portuguese: [ʒoˈzɛ ˈfɾejɾi fawˈkɐ̃w]; 23 October 1925 – 26 September 2021) was a Brazilian prelate of the Catholic Church who was archbishop of Brasília from 1984 to 2004. He was created a cardinal in 1988.
Jose Freire Falcão | |
|---|---|
| Cardinal Archbishop Emeritus of Brasília | |
 Falcão, 9 March 2003 | |
| Church | Roman Catholic Church |
| Archdiocese | Brasília |
| See | Brasília |
| Appointed | 15 February 1984 |
| Term ended | 28 January 2004 |
| Predecessor | José Newton de Almeida Baptista |
| Successor | João Braz de Aviz |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 19 June 1949 |
| Consecration | 17 June 1967 by José de Medeiros Delgado |
| Created cardinal | 28 June 1988 by Pope John Paul II |
| Rank | Cardinal-Priest |
| Personal details | |
| Born | José Freire Falcão 23 October 1925 Ererê, Brazil |
| Died | 26 September 2021 (aged 95) Brasilia, Brazil |
| Previous post(s) |
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| Motto | Servir em humildade |
| Coat of arms |  |
Biography
José Freire Falcão was born on 23 October 1925, in Ererê in the state of Ceara. He entered the seminary in Fortaleza at the age of 14. He was ordained a priest on 19 June 1949.
He was teaching at the seminary and leading the diocesan liturgy commission when, on 24 April 1967, Pope Paul VI named him titular bishop of Vardimissa and bishop coadjutor of Limoeiro do Norte.[1] He received his episcopal consecration on 17 June and succeeded as bishop on 19 August. He was transferred to the Archdiocese of Teresina on 25 November 1971.[2]
Pope John Paul II appointed him archbishop of Brasília on 15 February 1984 and created him a cardinal on 28 June 1988, assigning him as a cardinal priest to San Luca a Via Prenestina.
He retired as archbishop of Brasília upon the appointment of his successor on 28 January 2004.[3]
He was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI.[4]
On 17 September 2021, Falcão was admitted to hospital as a precaution after being diagnosed with COVID-19.[5] On 24 September, the Archdiocese of Brasilia announced Falcão's health had deteriorated, that he was intubated and in grave condition after suffering kidney and respiratory complications.[6] He died from complications of the virus on 26 September 2021, at the age of 95.[4] His Funeral Mass and burial in the crypt of the cathedral took place the next day.[7]
References
- Acta Apostolicae Sedis (PDF). Vol. LIX. 1967. pp. 522, 749. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
- Acta Apostolicae Sedis (PDF). Vol. LXIV. 1972. p. 61. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
- "Rinunce e Nominee, 28.01.2004" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
- "Cardeal dom José Freire Falcão morre após complicações da Covid-19". Metrópoles (in Brazilian Portuguese). 27 September 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
- "Cardeal José Freire Falcão é internado com covid-19". AciDigital (in Brazilian Portuguese). 20 September 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
- "Nota sobre o estado de saúde de Dom José Freire Falcão". Archdiocese of Brasília (in Brazilian Portuguese). 24 September 2021. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
- Arocho Esteves, Junno (27 September 2021). "Brazilian Cardinal Jose Freire Falcão dies at 95". Crux. Catholic News Service. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
External links
- "Falcão Card. José Freire". Holy See Press Office. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
- José Falcão Freire
- "José Cardinal Freire Falcão". Catholic Hierarchy. [self-published]