Ángel Fernández Artime, S.D.B. (born 21 August 1960) is a Spanish Catholic prelate who has served as Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life since 2025. He was Rector Major of the Salesians from 2014 to 2024, the first Spaniard to hold that office. He was previously provincial superior of the Salesian Province of Leon from 2000 to 2006 and of the Southern Argentina Province from 2009 to 2014.

Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...

made Fernández a

cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to * Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae ***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...

in 2023 and allowed him to continue as rector until 16 August 2024. He was the first cleric made a cardinal while heading a religious order and the first cardinal elector not already a bishop since

Roberto Tucci Roberto Tucci, SJ (19 April 1921 – 14 April 2015) was an Italian Catholic theologian, journalist, and Jesuit priest. He played an important role at the Second Vatican Council and organized foreign trips taken by Pope John Paul II. He was ma ...

in 2001. Fernández's episcopal consecration was celebrated on 20 April 2024.

Early life

Ángel Fernández Artime was born in Gozón-Luanco,

Asturias Asturias (; ; ) officially the Principality of Asturias, is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in northwest Spain. It is coextensive with the provinces of Spain, province of Asturias and contains some of the territory t ...

, on 21 August 1960. His father was a fisherman and his mother sold his catch. In 1970 his family moved to

Astudillo, Palencia Astudillo is a Spanish municipality in the autonomous community of Castilla y León belonging to the province of Palencia (province), Palencia. It is located northeast of the provincial capital, and has 1,106 inhabitants (2011) with an area of . ...

, where he enrolled in boarding school. He then studied for three years in Cambados (Pontevedra) and then entered the Salesian school in León. He professed his first vows on 3 September 1978 and his final vows on 17 June 1984 in Santiago de Campostela. He was ordained a priest on 4 July 1987 in León. Fernández holds a bachelor's degree in

pastoral theology Pastoral theology is the branch of practical theology concerned with the application of the study of religion in the context of regular church ministry. This approach to theology seeks to give practical expression to theology. Normally viewed as ...

, philosophy and

pedagogy Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political, and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken ...

from the

University of Valladolid The University of Valladolid is a public university located in the city of Valladolid, Valladolid province, autonomous region of Castile and Leon, Spain. Established in the 13th century, it is one of the oldest universities in the world. The ...

. Following his ordination, he began his ministry teaching religion at the Santo Angel Salesian College of

Avilés Avilés (Asturian and ;) is a town in Asturias, Spain. Avilés is, along with Oviedo and Gijón, one of the main cities in the Principality of Asturias. The town occupies the flattest land in the municipality, partially in a land that belonged ...

(Asturias) and was then director of the Salesian College of

Ourense Ourense (; ) is a city and the capital of the province of province of Ourense, Ourense, located in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia, northwestern Spain. It is on the Camino Sanabrés path o ...

Career

As a member of the Salesian Province of León, Fernandez was a member of the Provincial Council and vice provincial. From 2000 to 2006 he was superior of that Province. He was selected to team with the organizers of the 26th General Chapter in Rome in 2008. In 2009 he was elected provincial for the Southern Argentina Province, headquartered in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

. There Fernandez worked with Cardinal

Jorge Mario Bergoglio Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until his death in 2025. He was the first Jesuit pope, the first Latin A ...

, who later became

. The General Council of the Salesians elected him to a six-year term as rector major of the order in March 2014. He is the first Spaniard and third non-Italian to become rector of the Salesians. As rector major, he presided at the opening of the celebrations of the 200th birthday of Saint John Bosco on 24 January 2015 in Turin. He was elected to a second six-year term as rector on 11 March 2020. On 9 July 2023, Pope Francis announced his plans to create him a cardinal at a consistory scheduled for 30 September. He is the first superior of a religious congregation to be made a cardinal. At that consistory he was assigned the rank of cardinal deacon with the title of

Santa Maria Ausiliatrice in via Tuscolana The Church of Saint Mary, the Help of Christians in Via Tuscolana () is a Roman Catholic Marian shrine, titular church and Minor Basilica of Rome. Pope Paul VI established the Titular church ''Sancta Mariæ Auxiliatricis in via Tusculana'' on ...

. Pope Francis initially told Fernández he could continue to serve as rector until 31 July 2024, when he will be given a new assignment. He later modified that date to 16 August. Fernández was made a member of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life on 4 October 2023. Fernandez announced that the Salesians plan to hold an election to replace him as rector in the spring of 2025. His episcopal consecration was celebrated on 20 April 2024. Pope Francis assigned him the titular see of Ursona with the title of archbishop. He received his episcopal consecration from Cardinal

Emil Paul Tscherrig Emil Paul Tscherrig (born 3 February 1947) is a Swiss prelate of the Catholic Church who has spent his career in the diplomatic service of the Holy See. He became an archbishop in 1996 and has since held assignments as Apostolic Nuncio to several ...

, with co-consecrators Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero and Bishop Lucas Van Looy, both Salesians. He announced the end of his service as rector of the Salesians on 16 August. On 6 January 2025, Pope Francis named him Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. He participated as a

cardinal elector A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. As titular members of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome, they serve as advisors to the pope, who is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. Ca ...

in the

2025 papal conclave A conclave was held on 7 and 8 May 2025 to elect a new pope to succeed Pope Francis, Francis, who had died on 21 April 2025. Of the 135 eligible Cardinal electors in the 2025 papal conclave, cardinal electors, all but two attended. Cardinal Piet ...

that elected

Pope Leo XIV Pope Leo XIV (born Robert Francis Prevost, September 14, 1955) has been head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State since May 2025. He is the first pope to have been born in the United States and North America, the fir ...

Notes

References

;Additional sources * Via Agenzia Info Salesiana (INS)

External links

Biography on the website of the Holy See
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fernandez Artime, Angel Salesians of Don Bosco 1960 births 20th-century Spanish Roman Catholic priests People from Asturias Living people Salesian cardinals Cardinals created by Pope Francis Cardinal-priests 21st-century Spanish cardinals Bishops appointed by Pope Francis

Early life

Career

See also

Notes

References

External links