José Freire Falcão

José Freire Falcão Cardinal ( born October 23, 1925 in erere, Brazil) is a retired Archbishop of Brasília.

Life

José Freire Falcão studied at the Seminary of Prainha Catholic theology and received on 19 June 1949, the sacrament of Holy Orders. Subsequently he worked until 1967 as a parish pastor, teacher, and pastor of the Catholic Action.

1967 Pope Paul VI appointed him. Coadjutor Bishop and the Bishop of Limoeiro do Norte in 1971 and Archbishop of Teresina. 1984 Pope John Paul II appointed him to head the Archdiocese of Brasília.

José Freire Falcão belongs to the College of Cardinals since 1988 as a cardinal priest with the titular church of San Luca a Via Prenestina.

He was a member of the Cardinal Council for the study of organizational and economic problem questions of the Holy See. On 28 January 2004 he resigned the leadership of the Archdiocese of Brasília reasons of age.

Just six months before the completion of his 80th year of life and the consequent loss of the active papal election law, he took part in the Conclave 2005, in which Benedict XVI. successor of John Paul II was elected and was one of the oldest Kardinalelektoren. At the conclave in 2013 after the resignation of Benedict XVI. he no longer participated.