Péter Cardinal Erdo
Encyclopedia
Péter Erdő is a Hungarian
Cardinal
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He currently serves as the Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest
, and thus Primate
of Hungary
. He is the President of the Council of Episcopal Conferences of Europe, and is the second youngest member of the College of Cardinals
.
, 25 June, 1952, the first of the six children of Sándor and Mária (née Kiss) Erdő. He studied at the seminaries
of Esztergom
and Budapest, and the Pontifical Lateran University
in Rome
(where he attained a doctorate
in both theology
and canon law
). On June 18, 1975, Erdő was ordained
to the priesthood
by Bishop László Lékai
, and was incardinated
in the Archdiocese of Esztergom. He worked as vicar
in Dorog
, and then continued his studies in Rome from 1977 to 1980. For the next eight years, he taught as a professor of theology and canon law at the Seminary of Esztergom, and held guest lectures at several foreign universities. Erdő served in the Hungarian Episcopal Conference
as Secretary of the Commission of Canon Law in 1986, and later as its President in 1999. In 1988 he began teaching theology at the Pázmány Péter Catholic University
, serving as rector
from 1998 to 2003. From 2005 he is the Great Chancellor of the university.
On 5 November 1999, he was appointed an auxiliary bishop
of Székesfehérvár
and titular bishop
of Puppi. He received his episcopal consecration
on 6 January 2000, from Pope John Paul II
himself, with Archbishops Giovanni Battista Re and Marcello Zago, OMI
, acting as co-consecrators. Erdő was named Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest
on December 7, 2002, and as such, he received the title of Primate
of Hungary. Cardinal Erdő became a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 2007.
of Santa Balbina
by John Paul II in the consistory
of 21 October 2003. H ewas the youngest cardinal member of the Sacred College
until the creation of Reinhard Marx
in 2010.
Erdő was one of the cardinal electors
who participated in the 2005 papal conclave
that selected Pope Benedict XVI
, and can continue to exercise his right to vote in any future conclave until his 80th birthday on June 25, 2032.
The Cardinal was elected President of the Hungarian Episcopal Conference in September 2005 for a five-year term, and President of the Council of Episcopal Conferences of Europe
in October 2006 for the same period of time. On 17 January 2009 he was appointed a member of the Pontifical Council for Culture
by Pope Benedict, and on 29 January 2011 of the Secretariat of State (Second Section).
Cardinal Erdő sponsored the Thirteenth International Congress of Medieval Canon Law, in Esztergom, August 3–9, 2008. On 19 October 2011, the apostolic nunciature in Perú announced that he will be apostolic visitor to intervene in the dispute between the Pontifical Catholic University of Perú and the archdiocese of Lima.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
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 currently serves as the Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest
Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest
The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest is part of the Roman Catholic Church in Hungary. It represents two Hungarian cities, Esztergom and the national capital Budapest...
, 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 Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. He is the President of the Council of Episcopal Conferences of Europe, and is the second youngest 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...
.
Biography
Erdő was born in BudapestBudapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, 25 June, 1952, the first of the six children of Sándor and Mária (née Kiss) Erdő. He studied at the seminaries
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...
of Esztergom
Esztergom
Esztergom , is a city in northern Hungary, 46 km north-west of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom county, on the right bank of the river Danube, which forms the border with Slovakia there....
and Budapest, and the Pontifical Lateran University
Pontifical Lateran University
The Pontifical Lateran University is a university by pontifical right based in Rome, Italy. The university also hosts the central session of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family...
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...
(where he attained a 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...
in both theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
and canon law
Canon law (Catholic Church)
The canon law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system, with all the necessary elements: courts, lawyers, judges, a fully articulated legal code and principles of legal interpretation. It lacks the necessary binding force present in most modern day legal systems. The academic...
). On June 18, 1975, Erdő was 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 Bishop László Lékai
László Lékai
László Lékai was Archbishop of Esztergom and a Cardinal.He was ordained to the priesthood on 28 September 1934. He served as a Faculty member at the Seminary of Veszprém and did pastoral work in the diocese of Veszprém from 1934 until 1944. He served as private secretary to future Cardinal József...
, and was incardinated
Excardination and Incardination
In the Roman Catholic Church, incardination refers to the situation of a member of the clergy being placed under the jurisdiction of a particular bishop or other religious superior...
in the Archdiocese of Esztergom. He worked as vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
in Dorog
Dorog
Ethnic groups :*Magyars — 95.3%*Germans — 4.2%*Other — 0.5%Religions :*Roman Catholic — 57.4%*Calvinist — 8.9%*Lutheran — 0.8%*Other Christian — 2%*Atheist — 19.1%*No answer, unknown — 11.8%-Traffic and transport:...
, and then continued his studies in Rome from 1977 to 1980. For the next eight years, he taught as a professor of theology and canon law at the Seminary of Esztergom, and held guest lectures at several foreign universities. Erdő served in the Hungarian 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...
as Secretary of the Commission of Canon Law in 1986, and later as its President in 1999. In 1988 he began teaching theology at the Pázmány Péter Catholic University
Pázmány Péter Catholic University
Pázmány Péter Catholic University is a private university of the Catholic Church in Hungary, recognized by the State. Founded in 1635, the PPCU is one of Hungary's oldest and most prestigious institutions of higher education....
, serving as rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
from 1998 to 2003. From 2005 he is the Great Chancellor of the university.
On 5 November 1999, he was appointed an auxiliary bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Székesfehérvár
Székesfehérvár
Székesfehérvár is a city in central Hungary and is the 9th largest in the country. Located around southwest of Budapest. It is inhabited by 101,973 people , with 136,995 in the Székesfehérvár Subregion. The city is the centre of Fejér county and the regional centre of Central Transdanubia...
and titular bishop
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 Puppi. 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 6 January 2000, from Pope 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 ...
himself, with Archbishops Giovanni Battista Re and Marcello Zago, OMI
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate is a missionary religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816 by Saint Eugene de Mazenod, a French priest born in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France on August 1, 1782. The congregation was given recognition by Pope...
, acting as co-consecrators. Erdő was named Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest
Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest
The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest is part of the Roman Catholic Church in Hungary. It represents two Hungarian cities, Esztergom and the national capital Budapest...
on December 7, 2002, and as such, he received the title of 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 Hungary. Cardinal Erdő became a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 2007.
Cardinal
He was created Cardinal-PriestCardinal (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 Santa Balbina
Santa Balbina
Santa Balbina is a basilica church in Rome, devoted to St. Balbina. It was built in the 4th century over the house of consul Lucius Fabius Cilo on the Aventine Hill, behind the Baths of Caracalla. Possibly the ancient Titulus Tigridae, the basilica was consecrated by Pope Gregory I.The adjoining...
by John Paul II in the consistory
Consistory
-Antiquity:Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together', just as the Greek synedrion ....
of 21 October 2003. H ewas the youngest cardinal member of the Sacred College
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...
until the creation of Reinhard Marx
Reinhard Marx
Reinhard Marx is a German Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as the incumbent Cardinal archbishop of Munich and Freising. Pope Benedict XVI elevated Cardinal Marx to the cardinalate in a consistory on 20 November 2010...
in 2010.
Erdő was one of the cardinal electors
Cardinal electors in Papal conclave, 2005
The following is a list of the 115 cardinal electors in the 2005 papal conclave, arranged by region and, within each region, alphabetically. Two cardinals who were eligible to participate in the conclave, namely Adolfo Suarez Rivera and Jaime Sin, did not attend due to ill health.-Roman...
who participated in the 2005 papal conclave
Papal conclave, 2005
The Papal conclave of 2005 was convened as a result of the death of Pope John Paul II on 2 April 2005. After his death, the cardinals who were in Rome met and set a date for the beginning of the conclave to elect John Paul's successor. The conclave began on 18 April 2005 and ended on the following...
that selected Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
, and can continue to exercise his right to vote in any future conclave until his 80th birthday on June 25, 2032.
The Cardinal was elected President of the Hungarian Episcopal Conference in September 2005 for a five-year term, and President of the Council of Episcopal Conferences of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in October 2006 for the same period of time. On 17 January 2009 he was appointed a member of the Pontifical Council for Culture
Pontifical Council for Culture
The Pontifical Council for Culture is a department of the Roman Curia charged with fostering the relationship of the Catholic Church with different cultures. Pope John Paul II founded it on 20 May 1982...
by Pope Benedict, and on 29 January 2011 of the Secretariat of State (Second Section).
Cardinal Erdő sponsored the Thirteenth International Congress of Medieval Canon Law, in Esztergom, August 3–9, 2008. On 19 October 2011, the apostolic nunciature in Perú announced that he will be apostolic visitor to intervene in the dispute between the Pontifical Catholic University of Perú and the archdiocese of Lima.