José Quintero Parra
Encyclopedia
José Humberto Quintero Parra (September 22, 1902—July 8, 1984) was a Venezuela
n Cardinal
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Archbishop of Caracas from 1960 to 1980, and was elevated to the cardinalate
in 1961.
, Mérida
, to Genaro Quintero and his wife Perpetua Parra, and was later baptized
on October 31, 1902. He studied at the seminary
in Mérida and the Pontifical Gregorian University
in Rome
(from where he obtained his doctorate
s in theology
and canon law
) before being ordained
to the priesthood
by Archbishop Filippo Cortesi
on August 22, 1926. Quintero then did pastoral
work in Mérida
until 1929, when he was named private secretary
to the Archbishop
of the same city, Acacio Chacón Guerra. Serving as Archbishop Chacón's secretary until 1934, he was also secretary
of the archdiocesan curia
and vicar general
of Mérida from 1929 to 1953.
On September 7, 1953, Quintero was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop
of Mérida and Titular Archbishop
of Achrida by Pope Pius XII
. He received his episcopal consecration
on the following December 6 from Adeodato Giovanni Piazza, OCD
, with Archbishops Luigi Centoz and Giuseppe Misuraca serving as co-consecrators
, in the chapel
of the Collegio Pio Latinoamericano at Rome. Quintero was later named Archbishop of Caracas and thus Primate
of the Church in Venezuela
on August 31, 1960.
Pope John XXIII
created him Cardinal Priest
of Ss. Andrea e Gregorio al Monte Celio
in the consistory
of January 16, 1961. Quintero, who was the first Venezuelan member of the College of Cardinals
, attended the Second Vatican Council
from 1962 to 1965, and was a cardinal elector
in the 1963 papal conclave
that selected Pope Paul VI
. Along with Cardinal José Bueno y Monreal
, he assisted Cardinal Paul Zoungrana
in delivering one of the closing messages of the Council on December 8, 1965.
During his tenure as Caracas
' archbishop, he made an offer of mediation
to Venezuela's guerrillas
, served as President
of the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference
, and enforced the "dignity and obligation of father
hood". Before he resigned as Archbishop on May 24, 1980, after a period of twenty-nine years, the Venezuelan primate participated
in the conclaves
of August and October 1978, which selected Popes John Paul I
and John Paul II
respectively.
Quintero died after a long illness in Caracas, at age 81. He is buried in the chapel
of Our Lady of the Pillar
in the metropolitan
cathedral
of Caracas. President Jaime Lusinchi
declared an official three days of mourning
following the Cardinal's death.
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He served as Archbishop of Caracas from 1960 to 1980, and was elevated to the cardinalate
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
in 1961.
Biography
José Quintero Parra was born in MucuchíesMucuchíes
Mucuchíes is a town in the Rangel Municipality of Mérida state, Venezuela. It is at an altitude of 2,983 meters and has a cool climate, with an average temperature of 11° C. Patron saint festivities are held during the month of December, with their patron saints St. Lucia and St. Benedict the...
, Mérida
Mérida (state)
Mérida State is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. The state capital is Mérida.Mérida State covers a total surface area of 11,300 km² and, in 2007, had an estimated population of 843,800.- Climate and Vegetation :...
, to Genaro Quintero and his wife Perpetua Parra, and was later baptized
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
on October 31, 1902. He studied at the seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
in Mérida and the Pontifical Gregorian University
Pontifical Gregorian University
The Pontifical Gregorian University is a pontifical university located in Rome, Italy.Heir of the Roman College founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola over 460 years ago, the Gregorian University was the first university founded by the Jesuits...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
(from where he obtained his doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
s in theology
Doctor of Theology
Doctor of Theology is a terminal academic degree in theology. It is a research degree that is considered by the U.S. National Science Foundation to be the equivalent of a Doctor of Philosophy....
and canon law
Doctor of Canon Law
Doctor of Canon Law is the doctoral-level terminal degree in the studies of canon law of the Roman Catholic Church.It may also be abbreviated I.C.D. or dr.iur.can. , ICDr., D.C.L., D.Cnl., D.D.C., or D.Can.L. . Doctor of both laws are J.U.D...
) before being ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
by Archbishop Filippo Cortesi
Filippo Cortesi
Filippo Cortesi was the Apostolic Nuncio to Poland from December 24, 1936 to February 1, 1947. Cortesi earlier served as nuncio to Paraguay in the interim. Cortesi was the only nuncio to Poland never to become a cardinal....
on August 22, 1926. Quintero then did pastoral
Parish (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province to diocese to deanery to parish.-Requirements:A parish needs two things under common law to become a parish...
work in Mérida
Mérida, Mérida
Santiago de los Caballeros de Mérida, Venezuela, is the capital of the municipality of Libertador and the state of Mérida, and is one of the principal cities of the Venezuelan Andes...
until 1929, when he was named private secretary
Personal assistant
A personal assistant or personal aide is someone who assists in daily business or personal tasks. It is common in design to have a PDA, or personal design assistant....
to the Archbishop
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
of the same city, Acacio Chacón Guerra. Serving as Archbishop Chacón's secretary until 1934, he was also secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
of the archdiocesan curia
Curia (Roman Catholic Church)
In Roman Catholicism, a curia consists of a group of officials who assist in the governance of a particular Church. These curias range from the relatively simple diocesan curia, to the larger patriarchal curias, to the Roman Curia, which is the central government of the Catholic Church.Other...
and vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of Mérida from 1929 to 1953.
On September 7, 1953, Quintero was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop
Coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
of Mérida and Titular Archbishop
Titular bishop
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 Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Achrida by Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
. He received his episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on the following December 6 from Adeodato Giovanni Piazza, OCD
Discalced Carmelites
The Discalced Carmelites, or Barefoot Carmelites, is a Catholic mendicant order with roots in the eremitic tradition of the Desert Fathers and Mothers...
, with Archbishops Luigi Centoz and Giuseppe Misuraca serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
, in the chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
of the Collegio Pio Latinoamericano at Rome. Quintero was later named Archbishop of Caracas and thus Primate
Primate (religion)
Primate is a title or rank bestowed on some bishops in certain Christian churches. Depending on the particular tradition, it can denote either jurisdictional authority or ceremonial precedence ....
of the Church in Venezuela
Roman Catholicism in Venezuela
The Catholic Church in Venezuela is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope, curia in Rome and the Venezuelan Bishops Conference....
on August 31, 1960.
Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
created him Cardinal Priest
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
of Ss. Andrea e Gregorio al Monte Celio
San Gregorio Magno
San Gregorio Magno al Celio, also known as San Gregorio al Celio or simply San Gregorio, is a church in Rome, Italy, which is part of a monastery...
in the consistory
Consistory
-Antiquity:Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together', just as the Greek synedrion ....
of January 16, 1961. Quintero, who was the first Venezuelan member of the College of Cardinals
College of Cardinals
The College of Cardinals is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church.A function of the college is to advise the pope about church matters when he summons them to an ordinary consistory. It also convenes on the death or abdication of a pope as a papal conclave to elect a successor...
, attended the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
from 1962 to 1965, and was a cardinal elector
Cardinal electors in Papal conclave, 1963
The following were the cardinal electors in the 1963 papal conclave. Arranged by region , and within each alphabetically . Only two out of the eighty electors did not participate in the conclave: József Mindszenty The following were the cardinal electors in the 1963 papal conclave. Arranged by...
in the 1963 papal conclave
Papal conclave, 1963
The Papal conclave of 1963 was convoked following the death of Pope John XXIII on June 3 of that same year in the Apostolic Palace. After the cardinal electors assembled in Rome, the conclave to elect John's successor began on June 19 and ended two days later, on June 21, after six ballots. The...
that selected Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
. Along with Cardinal José Bueno y Monreal
José Bueno y Monreal
José María Bueno y Monreal was an Spanish Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Seville from 1957 to 1982, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1958.-Biography:...
, he assisted Cardinal Paul Zoungrana
Paul Zoungrana
Paul Zoungrana, MAfr was a Burkinabé Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Ouagadougou from 1960 to 1995, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1965.-Biography:...
in delivering one of the closing messages of the Council on December 8, 1965.
During his tenure as Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
' archbishop, he made an offer of mediation
Mediation
Mediation, as used in law, is a form of alternative dispute resolution , a way of resolving disputes between two or more parties. A third party, the mediator, assists the parties to negotiate their own settlement...
to Venezuela's guerrillas
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
, served as President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference
Episcopal Conference
In the Roman Catholic Church, an Episcopal Conference, Conference of Bishops, or National Conference of Bishops is an official assembly of all the bishops of a given territory...
, and enforced the "dignity and obligation of father
Father
A father, Pop, Dad, or Papa, is defined as a male parent of any type of offspring. The adjective "paternal" refers to father, parallel to "maternal" for mother...
hood". Before he resigned as Archbishop on May 24, 1980, after a period of twenty-nine years, the Venezuelan primate participated
Cardinal electors in Papal conclaves, August and October 1978
The following were the cardinal electors in the papal conclaves of August and October 1978. Arranged by region , and within each alphabetically .Because there was such a brief period between the two conclaves, the lists of electors...
in the conclaves
Papal conclave
A papal conclave is a meeting of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a Bishop of Rome, who then becomes the Pope during a period of vacancy in the papal office. The Pope is considered by Roman Catholics to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and earthly head of the Roman Catholic Church...
of August and October 1978, which selected Popes John Paul I
Pope John Paul I
John Paul I , born Albino Luciani, , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and as Sovereign of Vatican City from 26 August 1978 until his death 33 days later. His reign is among the shortest in papal history, resulting in the most recent Year of Three Popes...
and John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
respectively.
Quintero died after a long illness in Caracas, at age 81. He is buried in the chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
of Our Lady of the Pillar
Pilar
Our Lady of the Pillar is the name given to the Blessed Virgin Mary for her claimed appearance during the start of Christianity in Spain. She is considered the Patroness of the country and the Spanish Civil Guard. Her shrine is in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza, by the river...
in the metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
of Caracas. President Jaime Lusinchi
Jaime Lusinchi
Jaime Ramón Lusinchi is a Venezuelan politician who was the President of Venezuela from 1984 to 1989. His term was characterized by an economic crisis, growth of the External debt, populist policies, currency depreciation, inflation and corruption that exacerbated the crisis of the political...
declared an official three days of mourning
Mourning
Mourning is, in the simplest sense, synonymous with grief over the death of someone. The word is also used to describe a cultural complex of behaviours in which the bereaved participate or are expected to participate...
following the Cardinal's death.
Trivia
- Quintero also served as DeanDean (education)In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of the LawLawLaw is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
FacultyFaculty (university)A faculty is a division within a university comprising one subject area, or a number of related subject areas...
at Mérida University. - He won scholarshipScholarshipA scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
s for his education at Rome. - The Cardinal was an amateur portrait painterPortrait paintingPortrait painting is a genre in painting, where the intent is to depict the visual appearance of the subject. Beside human beings, animals, pets and even inanimate objects can be chosen as the subject for a portrait...
.