Jānis Pujats

Jānis Pujats (born 14 November 1930) is the Archbishop of Riga, Latvia.
Pujats was born in the town of Nautreni. He attended the Theological Seminary in Riga until it was closed by the Soviet Union in 1951. Two months later, he was ordained in a secret ceremony by Archbishop Antonijs Springovics. During the episcopate of Pope Paul VI, he implemented the Pope's liturgical reform and published the first missal in Latvian. Cardinal Pujats was made Archbishop of Riga in 1991. On 21 February 1998 he was made a Cardinal in pectore by Pope John Paul II; his cardinalate was not publicly revealed until the consistory of 21 February 2001. He was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI. He is noted for being the only member of the Synod of Bishops to speak exclusively Latin when at the microphone at both the 2001 and 2005 meetings.Cardinals call on Pope to save Latin from last rites, The Times, 24 Oct 2005
==Condemnation of homosexuality==
In a May 2007 open letter protesting a gay pride march scheduled for 3 June 2007 as part of the Riga Pride and Friendship Days, Pujāts referred to homosexuality as "absolute depravity in sexual behavior" and an "unnatural form of prostitution".Interfax: Homosexuality 'unnatural form of prostitution', Latvian Catholic leader says, Interfax/Catholic Online, 10 May 2007 He went on to exhort the faithful to "be prepared to go out into the streets"Gay pride parade to attract international audience, The Baltic Times, 23 May 2007 to protest the events, "not to create disorder, but to offer a disciplined position in support of the government, because on this very important issue of morals, the government is on the side of Christians."Cardinal: homosexuality a form of prostitution, Pink News, 9 May 2007
==See also==
* Roman Catholic Church of Latvia
==References==
Category:1930 births
Category:Living people
Category:Latvian cardinals
Category:Latvian Roman Catholics
Category:20th-century Roman Catholic archbishops
Category:21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops
Category:Archbishops of Riga
Category:Recipients of the Order of the Three Stars, 2nd Class
Category:Cardinals created by Pope John Paul II
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