(ANS - Vatican City) – One of the 19 new cardinals announced by Pope Francis just after the Angelus yesterday, 12 January, is a Salesian, the archbishop of Santiago, Chile, Archbishop Ricardo Ezzati Andrello.

Archbishop Ricardo Ezzati Andrello, who was born at Campiglia dei Berici, Vicenza (Italy), on 7 January 1942, went to the novitiate in Quilpué, Valparaíso in 1960. After studies of philosophy  at the Catholic University of Valparaíso and of theology at the Salesian Pontifical University in Rome, he made his perpetual profession on 30 December 1966 and was ordained priest on 18 March 1970.

After ordination he obtained a Licence in Religious Studies  at the “Institut de Pastorale Catéchetique” in Strasburg and the qualification of Teacher of Religion and Philosophy at the Catholic University of Valparaíso.

He was responsible for youth ministry in the Salesian school in Valdivia; Rector of the community in Concepción; member of the Provincial Council of Chile; Rector of the Studentate of Philosophy and of the Theologate in Santiago; Provincial of the Salesians in Chile. He also taught in the Faculty of Theology in the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and was Vice President of the Conference of Religious in Chile. He took part in the General Chapters of the Salesian Congregation in 1984 and 1990. In 1991 he was appointed  an Official of the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life of the Holy See

Appointed Bishop of Valdivia on 28 June 1996, he was ordained bishop the following 8 September. On 10 July 2001 he was appointed Titular Bishop of La Imperial and Auxiliary of Santiago, Chile and on 27 December 2006 Metropolitan Archbishop of Concepción. In January 2004 he was awarded the “Jesús Maestro” Prize by the Interamerican Confederation for Catholic Education (CIDEC) for his contribution to education, in 2007 he became President of the Commission for Education and Culture of the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM) and in December 2009 was named person of the Year by the Chilean magazine El Sur. On 19 November 2010, Archbishop Ezzati was elected President of the Episcopal Conference of Chile.

Published 13/01/2014