During the last ordinary consistory, held at the Vatican on July 9, the then Father Fernández Artime was chosen by the Holy Father to become a Cardinal.

Newsroom (05/03/2024 10:01, Gaudium Press) The Vatican press office confirmed on Tuesday, April 5, that Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, the Rector Major of the Salesians, will be ordained a bishop on April 20.

Pope Francis has appointed the Rector Major of the Salesians to the titular see of Ursona, as stated by the Holy See. Father Fernández Artime was selected by the Holy Father during the last ordinary consistory, held at the Vatican on July 9.

On September 30, the Salesian was elevated to the rank of Cardinal alongside 20 other new members of the College of Cardinals. Subsequently, on October 4, he joined the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Moreover, on December 17, 2023, the newly appointed Cardinal assumed the diaconate of Our Lady Help of Christians in Rome.

The Salesians and the College of Cardinals

Hailing from Spain, Ángel Fernández Artime was the sole new Cardinal eligible to vote in the July 2023 consistory without prior episcopal ordination. He has been at the helm of the Salesian Order of Don Bosco since 2014, serving in Spain and Argentina.

Looking ahead, a new General Chapter of the Salesian Congregation, the 29th in its history, is slated to convene from February 25 to April 16, 2025. During this assembly, the next Rector Major of the Salesian Society will be elected.

The Salesians rank as the second-largest religious order globally, boasting eleven members in the College of Cardinals. Notably, five of them are eligible to participate in the election of a new Pope. Similarly, the Jesuits hold a significant presence in the College of Cardinals, with nine members, five of whom hold voting rights.

Compiled by Carlos Ruiz