José Saraiva Martins, C.M.F. GCC (born 6 January 1932) is a

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was prefect of the

Congregation for the Causes of Saints In the Catholic Church, the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, previously named the Congregation for the Causes of Saints (), is the dicastery of the Roman Curia that oversees the complex process that leads to the canonization of saints, pa ...

from 1998 to 2008. Born in Gagos de Jarmelo in

Guarda, Portugal Guarda () is a city and a municipality in the District of Guarda and the capital of the Beiras e Serra da Estrela sub-region in Centro Region, central Portugal. The population in 2021 was 40,126, in an area of with 31,224 inhabitants in the city ...

, to Antonio and Maria (née da Natividade Martins) Saraiva, he joined the Congregation of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, commonly known as the

Claretians , image = Herb CMF.jpg , image_size = 175px , caption = Coat of arms of the Claretians , abbreviation = CMF , nickname = Claretians , formation = , founders = Anto ...

, and professed his

vows A vow ( Lat. ''votum'', vow, promise; see vote) is a promise or oath. A vow is used as a promise, a promise solemn rather than casual. Marriage vows Marriage vows are binding promises each partner in a couple makes to the other during a weddi ...

on 22 August 1950. Saraiva Martins was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...

as a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

Ettore Cunial Ettore Cunial (November 16, 1905 – October 6, 2005) was an Italian prelate. Born at Possagno in the Province of Treviso, Cunial was ordained priest in 1929. In 1953, his appointment as Titular Archbishop of Soteropolis and Vicegerent of Rome ...

on 16 March 1957. He studied at the

Pontifical Gregorian University The Pontifical Gregorian University ( it, Pontificia Università Gregoriana; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana,) is a higher education ecclesiastical school ( pontifical university) located in Rome, Italy. The Gregorian originated as ...

and the

Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) A pontifical ( la, pontificale) is a Christian liturgical book containing the liturgies that only a bishop may perform. Among the liturgies are those of the ordinal for the ordination and consecration of deacons, priests, and bishops to Holy O ...

in Rome, where he earned a licentiate and a doctorate (respectively) in

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

. Saraiva Martins taught

metaphysics Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that studies the fundamental nature of reality, the first principles of being, identity and change, space and time, causality, necessity, and possibility. It includes questions about the nature of conscio ...

for a year in

Marino, Italy Marino ( la, Marinum or , local Romanesco: ) is an Italian city and ''comune'' in Lazio (central Italy), on the Alban Hills, Italy, southeast of Rome, with a population of 37,684 and a territory of . It is bounded by other communes, Castel Gan ...

, then in 1959 came to the Roman

Claretianum The Claretianum, officially the Claretian Pontifical Institute of the Theology of the Consecrated Life (; ), is an educational institute of the Roman Catholic Church in Rome founded by the Claretians. It is part of the Pontifical Lateran University ...

, where he taught fundamental and sacramental theology for a decade. He became

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

of the

Pontifical Urbaniana University The Pontifical Urban University, also called the ''Urbaniana'' after its names in both Latin and Italian,; it, Pontificia Università Urbaniana. is a pontifical university under the authority of the Congregation for the Evangelization of People ...

for three terms (1977–1980, 1980–1983, 1986–1988). On 26 May 1988, Saraiva Martins was appointed Secretary of the

Congregation for Catholic Education , type = Congregation , seal = Coat of arms Holy See.svg , seal_size = 100px , seal_caption = Coat of arms of the Holy See , logo = , picture =Via della Conciliazione din Roma1.jpg , picture_caption = Palazzo delle Congregazioni in Piazza ...

and

titular archbishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

of Thuburnica. He received his

episcopal consecration A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or offic ...

from Cardinal

Agostino Casaroli Agostino Casaroli (24 November 1914 – 9 June 1998) was an Italian Catholic priest and diplomat for the Holy See, who became Cardinal Secretary of State. He was the most important figure behind the Vatican's efforts to deal with the persecutio ...

, with Archbishops

Jan Pieter Schotte Jan Pieter Schotte (29 April 1928 – 10 January 2005) was a Belgian cardinal and an official of the Roman Curia. Biography He was born on 29 April 1928 in the town of Beveren-Leie (now a part of Waregem) in the province of West Flanders. He ...

and

Giovanni Battista Re Giovanni Battista Re (born 30 January 1934) is an Italian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church whose service has been primarily in the Roman Curia. He was elevated to the rank of cardinal in 2001. He was prefect of the Congregation for Bisho ...

serving as co-consecrators, on the following 2 July in the Basilica of

Ss. XII Apostoli Santi Dodici Apostoli (Church of the Twelve Holy Apostles; la, SS. Duodecim Apostolorum), commonly known simply as Santi Apostoli, is a 6th-century Roman Catholic parish and titular church and minor basilica in Rome, Italy, dedicated originall ...

. On 30 May 1998, he was named Prefect of the

. Pope John Paul made him

Cardinal Deacon A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

Nostra Signora del Sacro Cuore Nostra Signora del Sacro Cuore ("Our Lady of the Sacred Heart", also known as San Giacomo degli Spagnoli and in Spanish, Santiago de los Españoles) is a Catholic church dedicated to the Virgin Mary located in Rome's Piazza Navona. History An ...

in the

consistory Consistory is the anglicized form of the consistorium, a council of the closest advisors of the Roman emperors. It can also refer to: *A papal consistory, a formal meeting of the Sacred College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church *Consistory ...

of 21 February 2001. Like all major Vatican officials he lost his position on 2 April 2005 on the death of the pope. He was one of the

cardinal electors A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that elected

Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...

, who later confirmed him as prefect on 21 April 2005. On 9 July 2008, Pope Benedict XVI accepted his resignation as prefect to be succeeded by

Angelo Amato Angelo Amato, S.D.B. (born 8 June 1938) is an Italian cardinal of the Catholic Church who served as the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints between 2008 and 2018. He served as Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of ...

. On 24 February 2009, he was promoted to the order of

cardinal bishop A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

s, with title of the suburbicarian see of Palestrina. Pope Benedict XVI allowed Martins to remain as Roman Postulator for the Cause for

José Sánchez del Río José Luis Sánchez del Río (March 28, 1913 – February 10, 1928) was a Mexican Cristero who was put to death by government officials because he refused to renounce his Catholic faith. His death was seen as a largely political venture on the p ...

, a 14-year-old Mexican youth and

Cristeros The Cristero War ( es, Guerra Cristera), also known as the Cristero Rebellion or es, La Cristiada, label=none, italics=no , was a widespread struggle in central and western Mexico from 1 August 1926 to 21 June 1929 in response to the implementa ...

who died a martyr. Martins had conducted the beatification ceremony in Mexico City for the young boy as a stand-in for Pope Benedict XVI. Sanchez del Rio was finally canonized on 16 October 2016 in Rome by

Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...

External links

Biography at catholic-pages.com
*

Sources

External links

*
Biography at catholic-pages.com
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saraiva Martins, Jose 1932 births 20th-century Roman Catholic titular archbishops 21st-century Portuguese cardinals Cardinal-bishops of Palestrina Cardinals created by Pope John Paul II Claretian cardinals Living people Members of the Congregation for Bishops Members of the Congregation for Catholic Education Members of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints People from Guarda, Portugal Pontifical Gregorian University alumni Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas alumni