Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa

thumb|200px|right|Cardinal Francisco Javier Errázuriz
Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa (born 5 September 1933) is a Chilean Cardinal Priest and the Archbishop of Santiago, Chile in the Catholic Church. He is of Basque descent.http://www.escritores.cl/base.php?f1=articulos/texto/Penamunoz.htm
==Life==
Born in Santiago, second of the six children of Pedro Errázuriz Larraín and Marta Ossa Ruiz. He studied at the Liceo Alemán de los padres del Verbo Divino and later at the Faculty of Engineering of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in mathematics in 1953. For 8 years, he was a member of the Student Center and of Federation of Students and joined different university groups of the nascent Schönstatt Movement. Errázuriz befriended the Servant of God Mario Hiriart and with him and other students originated this Marian apostolic movement in Chile.
Errázuriz attended the State University of Fribourg, Switzerland, where he obtained a licentiate in philosophy and doctorate in theology. Besides his native Spanish, he speaks Italian, German and French. He was ordained as a priest for the Schönstatt Fathers on July 16, 1961, in Fribourg, by Manuel Larraín Errázuriz, bishop of Talca. In October 1962, he met Fr. Josef Kentenich, founder of the secular Institute of Fathers of Schönstatt, whose spiritual paternity he considers a special gift from God. From 1963 to 1965, Errázuriz was consultor of youth communities and university students in several cities in Chile. 
He served as Regional Superior in Chile of the Secular Institute of Fathers of Schönstatt, a position he held from 1965 to 1971. From Chile he directed the community of the institute in the Iberian peninsula and in Ecuador. As Regional Superior, participated in the Conference of clergy in Chile and was elected its vicepresident. During those years he worked with Cardinal Raúl Silva Henríquez, who had welcomed the Institute, then in its organizational phase, in his archdiocese. In 1971 was called to serve his community's General Council in Germany.
He became a member of the General Council of the Institute, from 1971 to 1974. In 1974, he was elected Superior General of the Schönstatt Fathers, and president of the International Council of the Work of Schöntatt; re-elected in 1980 and 1986. Because of his post, he conducted multiple pastoral visits to Europe, America, Africa and Australia. and then became a chaplain in the Schönstatt Movement. 
On December 22, 1990, Errázuriz was appointed titular Archbishop of Hólar and secretary of the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life. He was consecrated on January 6, 1991, in the patriarchal Vatican basilica, by Pope John Paul II, assisted by Giovanni Battista Re, titular archbishop of Vescovio, substitute of the Secretariat of State, and by Justin Francis Rigali, titular archbishop of Bolsena, secretary of the Congregation for Bishops. In the same ceremony were consecrated future Cardinals Jean-Louis Tauran, Vinko Puljić and Julián Herranz Casado; adopting the motto: Ut vitam habeant. He attended the IX Ordinary Assembly of the World Synod of Bishops, in the Vatican City, October 2-29, 1994, by papal appointment. 
Errázuriz was named bishop of Valparaíso, Chile, on September 24, 1996. He attended the Special Assembly for America of the World Synod of Bishops, Vatican City, November 16-December 12, 1997. He was transferred to the metropolitan see of Archdiocese of Santiago, on April 24, 1998. Became the Grand chancellor of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile the same year. Was elected president of the Chilean Episcopal Conference for three years, on November 20, 1998; and reelected, on November 16, 2001. Elected first vice-president of the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM), on May 13, 1999.
He was created Cardinal in the consistory of February 21, 2001 by Pope John Paul II. Errázuriz received the red biretta and the title of Cardinal Priest of S. Maria della Pace (Our Lady of Peace), on February 21, 2001. He attended the X Ordinary Assembly of World Synod of Bishops, Vatican City, September 30-October 27, 2001. Inducted as member of the Academy of Social, Political and Moral Sciences of the Institute of Chile, Santiago, on December 19, 2002. Elected president of the Episcopal Council of Latin America (CELAM), for the term of 2003- 2007, May 16, 2003. He was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI in 2005. Attended the XI General Ordinary Assembly of the World Synod of Bishops, Vatican City, October 2 to 23, 2005; by papal appointment. Named one of the three presidents of the V General Conference of the Latin American Episcopate that will take place in Aparecida, Brazil, from May 13 to 31, 2007.
==Additional information==
===See also===
*Errazuriz family
===Sources===
*Official biography 
*Official biography
*Biography at catholic-pages.com
*Genealogical chart of Errázuriz family 
===External links===
*Biographical sketch during Conclave
*Biographical highlights 
Category:1933 births
Category:Living people
Category:People from Santiago
Category:Chilean cardinals
Category:Chileans of Basque descent
Category:20th-century Roman Catholic archbishops
Category:21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops
Category:Bishops and archbishops of Santiago
Category:Cardinals created by Pope John Paul II
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