Antonio Cañizares Llovera

Styles of
**Antonio Cañizares Llovera**
Styles of; Antonio Cañizares Llovera
Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal
See	Valencia

His Eminence

Antonio Cañizares Llovera
His Eminence; Antonio Cañizares Llovera
Cardinal, Archbishop Emeritus of Valencia
	Cardinal Cañizares in 2016.
Church	Roman Catholic Church
Archdiocese	Valencia
Province	Valencia
Metropolis	Valencia
See	Valencia
Appointed	28 August 2014
Installed	4 October 2014
Term ended	10 October 2022
Predecessor	Carlos Osoro Sierra
Successor	Enrique Benavent Vidal
Other post(s)	Cardinal-Priest of S. Pancrazio;
Previous post(s)	Bishop of Avila (1992–1996); Archbishop of Granada (1996–2002); Archbishop of Toledo (2002–2008); Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (2008–14);
Orders
Ordination	21 June 1970; by José María García Lahiguera
Consecration	25 April 1992; by Mario Tagliaferri
Created cardinal	24 March 2006; by Pope Benedict XVI
Rank	Cardinal Priest
Personal details
Born	Antonio Cañizares Llovera; 15 October 1945 (age 79); Utiel, Spanish State
Nationality	Spanish
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Alma mater	Pontifical University of Salamanca
Motto	Fiat voluntas tua ("Thy will be done")
Coat of arms

Antonio Cañizares Llovera (Spanish pronunciation: [anˈto.njo kaɲiˈθaɾes ʎoˈβeɾa]; born 15 October 1945) is a Spanish Catholic cardinal who served as Archbishop of Valencia from 2014 to 2022. He was prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments from 2008 to 2014, and Archbishop of Toledo and Primate of Spain from 2002 to 2008. He was made a cardinal in 2006.

Early life

Antonio Cañizares was born in Utiel, and studied at the minor and major seminaries in Valencia and at the Pontifical University of Salamanca, from where he obtained his doctorate in theology, specializing in catechesis. He was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop José García Lahiguera on 21 June 1970, and then served as assistant pastor and delegate for catechesis in the Archdiocese of Valencia.

Following his transfer to the Archdiocese of Madrid, Cañizares taught catechetical theology at the University of Salamanca and fundamental theology at the Conciliar Seminary of Madrid. He later became the director and a professor of the Institute of Religious Science and Catechesis in Madrid, and sat on several commissions and secretariats of the Spanish Episcopal Conference as well. From 1985 to 1992, Cañizares served as director of the Secretariat of the Episcopal Commission for the Doctrine of the Faith. He also founded and was the first president of Asociación Española de Catequistas, and was Director of the review Teología y Catequesis.

Episcopal career

On 6 March 1992, Cañizares was appointed Bishop of Ávila by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on the following 25 April from Archbishop Mario Tagliaferri, with Cardinals Ángel Suquía Goicoechea and Marcelo González Martín serving as co-consecrators, in the Cathedral of Ávila. Cañizares Llovera later became a member of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the Roman Curia on 10 November 1996, and was named Archbishop of Granada on 10 December of that same year. In addition to his duties in Granada, he was Apostolic Administrator of Cartagena from January to October 1998, and was elected President of the Episcopal Commission of Education and Catechesis in 1999.

Cañizares Llovera was promoted to Archbishop of Toledo and Primate of Spain on 24 October 2002 by Pope John Paul II.^[1] He was elected vice-president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference as well. Pope Benedict XVI created him Cardinal-Priest of San Pancrazio in the consistory of 24 March 2006.^[2] He was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera on that same date.

Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments

On 9 December 2008, Pope Benedict appointed him Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.^[3]

On 4 March 2010, he was appointed a member of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses.^[4] He is also a member of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Congregation for Bishops as well as the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei. On 5 March he was appointed a member of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

Cañizares was elected to medalla nº 16 of the Real Academia de la Historia on 1 December 2006 and he took up his seat on 24 February 2008.^[5] Cañizares is sometimes known by his nickname of "Little Ratzinger,"^[6] referring to the similar beliefs and opinions between him and Benedict XVI, born Joseph Ratzinger, who himself is aware of and "very amused by this expression."^[6]

In 2013 it was reported that the Congregation is preparing a booklet to help priests celebrate the Mass properly and the faithful to participate better. Cardinal Canizares Llovera confirmed this at an address at the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See on "Catholic Liturgy since Vatican II: Continuity and Evolution." "We are preparing it; it will help to celebrate well and to participate well. During his talk the cardinal reiterated the importance Vatican II gave to the liturgy, "whose renewal must be understood in continuity with the Tradition of the Church and not as a break or discontinuity." A break either because of innovations that do not respect continuity or because of an immobility that freezes everything at Pius XII, he said.^[7]

He was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2013 papal conclave that selected Pope Francis.

Archbishop of Valencia

On 28 August 2014, Pope Francis appointed Cañizares Archbishop of Valencia.^[8] He was installed on 4 October.

Pope Francis accepted his resignation as archbishop of Valencia on 10 October 2022.^[9]

Views

On receiving Holy Communion

In an interview in December 2008 Cañizares Llovera discussed the best way to receive the Eucharist: "What does it mean to receive communion in the mouth? What does it mean to kneel before the Most Holy Sacrament? What does it mean to kneel during the consecration at Mass? It means adoration, it means recognizing the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist; it means respect and an attitude of faith of a man who prostrates before God because he knows that everything comes from Him, and we feel speechless, dumbfounded, before the wondrousness, his goodness, and his mercy. That is why it is not the same to place the hand, and to receive communion in any fashion, than doing it in a respectful way; it is not the same to receive communion kneeling or standing up, because all these signs indicate a profound meaning."^{[citation needed]}

In August 2010, he said that, due to the impact of earlier cultural impact and formation in children who learn at an earlier age, who are faced with mature issues earlier, and who are enormously influenced by modern morality, ethical systems, and the mass communications media, it might be preferable to start preparations for receiving the Sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist at an earlier age, which could also lead to lowering the age of reception for those sacraments (which is now about 7 or 8, the age of reason, where young children begin to be held responsible for their actions and belief systems).^{[citation needed]}

On Summorum Pontificum and Tridentine Mass

In regard to the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, Cañizares Llovera said that "[The] intention of the Pope has not only been to satisfy the followers of Monsignor Lefevbre, nor to confine himself to respond to the just wishes of the faithful who feel attached...to the liturgical heritage represented by the Roman Rite, but also, and in a special way, to open the liturgical richness of the Church to all the faithful, thus making possible the discovery of the treasures of the liturgical patrimony of the Church to those who still do not know it... even if there were not a single 'traditionalist' whom to satisfy, this 'discovery' would have been enough to justify the provisions of the Pope."^{[citation needed]}

Abortion and child abuse

Speaking in the context of an abortion debate prompted by a Spanish government proposal, he said child abuse on the part of Catholic priests "cannot be compared with the millions of lives that have been destroyed by abortion. It has legally destroyed 40 million human lives."^[10]

References

^ "Rinunce e Nomine, 24.10.2002" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 24 October 2002. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
^ "Assegnazione dei Titoli e delle Diaconie ai nuovi Cardinali" [Assignment of Titles and Deaconries to the new Cardinals]. The Holy See (in Italian). Ufficio delle Celebrazioni Liturgiche del Sommo Pontefice. 24 March 2006. Archived from the original on 28 July 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
^ "Rinunce e Nomine, 09.12.2008" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 9 December 2008. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
^ "Rinunce e Nomine, 04.03.2010" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 4 March 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
^ "Emmo. Rvdmo. Antonio CAÑIZARES LLOVERA" (in Spanish). Real Academia de la Historia. Archived from the original on 13 July 2013. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
^ ^a ^b Zenit. The "Little Ratzinger" on His Upcoming Duty 1 March 2006
^ "Vatican Preparing a Manual to Help Priests Celebrate Mass". 16 January 2013.
^ "Rinunce e Nomine, 28.07.2014" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
^ "Rinunce e nomine, 10.10.2022" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 10 October 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
^ Agnes, Paddy (29 May 2009). "Abortion worse than child abuse, says Vatican figure". Irish Times. Retrieved 2 February 2020.

External links

"Cañizares Llovera Card. Antonio". Holy See Press Office. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
Catholic-Hierarchy
Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Felipe Fernández García	Bishop of Ávila 6 March 1992 – 10 December 1996	Succeeded by Adolfo González Montes
Preceded by José Méndez Asensio	Archbishop of Granada 10 December 1996 – 24 October 2002	Succeeded by Francisco Martínez Fernández
Preceded by Francisco Álvarez Martínez	Archbishop of Toledo 24 October 2002 – 9 December 2008	Succeeded by Braulio Rodríguez Plaza
Preceded by José Lebrún Moratinos	Cardinal-Priest of San Pancrazio 24 March 2006	Incumbent
Preceded by Francis Arinze	Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments 9 December 2008 – 23 November 2014	Succeeded by Robert Sarah
Preceded by Carlos Osoro Sierra	Archbishop of Valencia 4 October 2014	Incumbent