The Sovereign Pontiff has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Óscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga, five years after the canonical retirement age set at 75. The Honduran cardinal becomes Archbishop Emeritus of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Having turned 80 on December 29, he will not participate in the next conclave.
The influential cardinal, who has been a coordinator in the Council of Cardinals since 2013, is considered one of the Pontiff's closest advisers.
A Salesian priest, Oscar Maradiaga was ordained in 1970. In 1993, John Paul II entrusted him with the diocese of Tegucigalpa, which he would keep for 30 years. From 1995 to 1999, Bishop Maradiaga was appointed head of the very influential CELAM, Episcopal Conference of Latin American Countries, where he was able to meet Bishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires. He was created cardinal on February 1, 2001, becoming the first cardinal of his country.
He claims to be close to liberation theology without placing himself in its doctrinal excesses. Once elected, Pope Francis made him one of his closest advisers, appointing him to the council of cardinals responsible for assisting him in his reform of the Roman Curia. “there is no statement from Maradiaga or the Vatican to suggest that he will step down from this role, despite his resignation of his see,” says LifeSiteNews.
The same site recalls that for a number of years Cardinal Maradiaga “has been beset with reports of financial and sexual cover-up scandals for a number of year, for which he has still refused to answer.” LifeSiteNews clarifies: “Perhaps more than for his financial and political maneuvers, Maradiaga has become known amongst Vatican watchers due to his alleged protection of homosexual seminarians.”
The Rome Reports website sums up an assessment of Bishop Maradiaga on the current pontificate in these terms: Francis “faithfully followed the agreements that came out of the so-called ‘pre-conclave’ meetings, in which the cardinals defined a number of steps that must be taken by the next pontiff.” Among them, the creation of the C9 Council of Cardinals, which Maradiaga heads, as an advisory body, one of the first measures taken by Pope Francis.”
Francis appointed as head of the Archdiocese of Tegucigalpa, Fr. José Vicente Nácher Tatay, 58, parish priest of San Vicente de Paúl in the city of San Pedro Sula and regional superior of the Congregation of the Mission (Lazarists) in Honduras.
