Juan Fremiot Torres Oliver (28 October 1925 – 26 January 2012) was a Puerto Rican prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the longest-serving bishop for the Diocese of Ponce in

Ponce, Puerto Rico Ponce (, , , ) is both a city and a municipality on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government. Ponce, Puerto Rico's most populated city outside the San Juan metropolitan area, was founded on 12 August 1 ...

, with 36 years of service from 1964 to 2000.

Priesthood and episcopacy

Torres Oliver was ordained priest in Ponce at age 24, on 10 April 1950. He was appointed bishop of Ponce on 4 November 1964 at age 39 and was consecrated on 21 December 1964. He retired as bishop of Ponce at age 75, on 10 November 2000, after a 36-year episcopate. He was a

bishop emeritus In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an Holy Orders, ordained Minister (Catholic Church), minister who holds the fullness of the Sacraments of the Catholic Church, sacrament of Holy orders in the Catholic Church, holy orders and is responsible ...

of the diocese of Ponce. From 1983 to 1994, Torres Oliver was president of the Conferencia Episcopal Puertorriqueña, CEP (Puerto Rican Episcopal Conference). One of Torres Oliver's most controversial decisions was the one he made in early January 1974. At the death of Isabel la Negra he refused to admit her body into the

Ponce Cathedral Ponce may refer to: *Ponce (surname) * *Ponce, Puerto Rico, a city in Puerto Rico ** Ponce High School ** Ponce massacre, 1937 * USS ''Ponce'', several ships of the US Navy *Manuel Ponce, a Mexican composer active in the 20th century * British sla ...

or to administer her the

holy sacraments A sacrament is a Christian rite that is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments to be a visible symbol of the real ...

posthumously.

Legacy

The

School of Law A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction. Law degrees Argentina In Argentina, ...

at the

Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico The Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico) is a private Roman Catholic university with its main campus in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It provides courses leading to Bachelor's, Master's and Docto ...

is named after him.''Comparte La Católica su ilusión navideña.''
Arlyn Díaz. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Year 30 Issue 1463. Page 28. 14 December 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2011.

Death

Torres Oliver died in Ponce on 26 January 2012. His death was the result of a heart attack. His remains will be rest at the Catedral Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in Ponce.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Torres Oliver, Juan Fremiot 1925 births 2012 deaths Bishops appointed by Pope Paul VI Torres Oliver, Juan Fremiot Clergy from Ponce People from San Germán, Puerto Rico Roman Catholic bishops of Ponce