Armand Razafindratandra

Armand Gaétan Cardinal Razafindratandra ( born August 7, 1925 in Ambohimalaza, Madagascar, † January 9, 2010 in Mahajanga ) was Archbishop of Antananarivo.

Life

Armand Gaétan Razafindratandra received by philosophical and theological studies on 27 July 1954, the sacrament of Holy Orders by the Apostolic Vicar of Tananarive, Victor Alphonse Marie Sartre, SJ, and specialized in Paris as part of further studies in the fields of pastoral theology and social sciences. From 1956 he was responsible in Madagascar responsible for the catechetical instruction. He gave out school books, worked as a school counselor and served as vicar at the Cathedral of Antananarivo.

In the sixties he worked as a parish priest, organized youth and family camps and took over the management of the newly established National Center for Catechetical instruction. He served as rain, the minor seminary of Faliarivo and the seminary of Ambatoroka.

Pope Paul VI. appointed him in 1978 as Bishop of Mahajanga. He received his episcopal consecration on July 2, 1978, the Archbishop of Antananarivo, Victor Cardinal Razafimahatratra SJ; Co-consecrators were Albert Joseph Tsiahoana, Archbishop of Diégo - Suarez, and Francesco Vollaro, OSST, Bishop of Ambatondrazaka. His pastorate he provided in the following years with great personal cost: he visited the parishes of his diocese personally and had thereby often the way back on foot. Many of the communities received as the first time an episcopal visitation. He was very active in educational issues and contributed significantly to the democratization process in his home country.

Pope John Paul II appointed him on 3 February 1994 as Archbishop of Antananarivo and took him on 26 November of the same year as cardinal priest with the titular church of Santi Silvestro e Martino in the College of Cardinals ai Monti on.

From 1997 to 2000 he headed the episcopal conference of his native country. He was a member of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

He participated in the conclave of 2005, in which Benedict XVI. was chosen, in part, and was one of the oldest cardinal electors. After he had completed his 80th year, took Benedict XVI. be age-related resignation on December 7, 2005.

Armand Gaétan Razafindratandra was considered one of the fathers of the Malagasy democracy.