Juan Francisco Fresno Larraín (26 July 1914 – 14 October 2004) was a Chilean cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Santiago de Chile from 1983 to 1990, and was elevated to the Cardinalate in 1985.


Juan Francisco Fresno Larraín
Archbishop Emeritus of Santiago
The cardinal in 1987 during the papal visit to Chile.
ChurchRoman Catholic Church
ArchdioceseSantiago
SeeSantiago
Appointed3 May 1983
Installed10 June 1983
Term ended30 March 1990
PredecessorRaúl Silva Henríquez
SuccessorCarlos Oviedo Cavada
Other post(s)Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria Immacolata di Lourdes a Boccea (1985–2004)
Orders
Ordination18 December 1937
by José Horacio Campillo Infante
Consecration15 August 1958
by Alfredo Cifuentes Gómez
Created cardinal25 May 1985
by Pope John Paul II
RankCardinal-Priest
Personal details
Born
Juan Francisco Fresno Larraín

(1914-07-26)26 July 1914
Died14 October 2004(2004-10-14) (aged 90)
Santiago, Chile
BuriedSantiago Cathedral
ParentsLuis Alfredo Fresno Ingunza
Elena Larraín Hurtado
Previous post(s)
Alma mater
MottoAdveniat regnum Tuum
Coat of armsJuan Francisco Fresno Larraín's coat of arms
Styles of
Juan Francisco Fresno Larraín
Reference styleHis Eminence
Spoken styleYour Eminence
Informal styleCardinal
SeeSantiago de Chile

Early life and ordination edit

He was born in Santiago de Chile as the son of Luis Alfredo Fresno Ingunza y Elena Larraín Hurtado. He was educated at the seminary of Santiago de Chile and later at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome where he earned a licentiate in theology. He was ordained to the priesthood on 18 December 1937 at the cathedral of Santiago, by Horacio Campillo, archbishop of Santiago.[1]

Priest and bishop edit

Between 1937 and 1958 he worked as a pastor, in spiritual director and was vice-director of the Minor Seminary. S.S. Pope Pius XII appointed him bishop of Copiapó on 15 June 1958. He attended the Second Vatican Council. He was promoted to the metropolitan see of La Serena on 28 July 1971. by pope Paul VI.

President of the Episcopal Conference of Chile edit

He was elected President of the Episcopal Conference of Chile in 1975. He played a key role in the efforts to restore democracy in Chile during the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet by making contact with opposition leaders and persuaded them to unite in a pro-democracy effort that included Marxists and the democratic right. After the fall of Pinochet he promoted their first tense contacts with the government and was one of the supporters of Acuerdo Nacional para la Transición a la Democracia Plena (National Agreement for the Transition to Full Democracy). This in turn led to the 1988 Chilean national plebiscite that marked the beginning of the end of the military regime.

Cardinal edit

Pope John Paul II named him Archbishop of Santiago de Chile on 3 May 1983. He was created Cardinal-Priest of S. Maria Immacolata di Lourdes a Boccea in the consistory of 25 May 1985. He resigned the pastoral government of the archdiocese on 30 March 1990. He lost the right to participate a conclave when turned 80 years of age, in 1994.

Death edit

He died 14 October 2004 at 8:50 p.m in his private residence in Santiago.

References edit

  1. ^ "Juan Francisco Cardinal Fresno Larraín [Catholic-Hierarchy]". catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
Religious titles
Preceded by Archbishop of Santiago de Chile
3 May 1983 – 30 March 1990
Succeeded by