Jorge María Mejía

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Styles of
Jorge Cardinal Mejía
Reference style His Eminence
Spoken style Your Eminence
Informal style Cardinal
See {{{See}}}


Jorge María Cardinal Mejía (born January 31, 1923 in Buenos Aires, Argentina) is an Argentinian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the Archivist Emeritus of the Vatican Secret Archives, and Librarian Emeritus of the Vatican Library.

Mejía was ordained to the priesthood for the Metropolitan See of Buenos Aires on September 22, 1945. He taught Sacred Scripture at several universities, participated at the Second Vatican Council as a peritus, and on September 20, 1978, was made a Chaplain of His Holiness. On March 8, 1986, he was appointed titular archbishop of Apollonia, and an official of the Curial Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. His episcopal consecration took place on the following April 12, and was performed by Roger Cardinal Etchegaray (with Archbishop Eduardo Martínez Somalo and Bishop Antonio Javierre Ortas as co-consecrators). Mejía was subsequently named Secretary of the Congregation for Bishops on March 5, 1994. Five days later, on March 10, he was appointed Secretary of the College of Cardinals. On March 7, 1998, he became both the Archivist of the Vatican Secret Archives and the Librarian of the Vatican Library. He was created Cardinal Deacon of S. Girolamo della Carità by Pope John Paul II in the consistory of February 21, 2001. He retired as archivist and librarian on November 24, 2003.

Cardinal Mejía was 82 at the time of the 2005 papal conclave, and thus not eligible to vote. He currently holds a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), and a license in biblical science from the Pontifical Biblical Institute.


Preceded by
Justin Francis Rigali
Secretary of the Congregation for Bishops
5 March 19947 March 1998
Succeeded by
Francesco Monterisi
Preceded by
Justin Francis Rigali
Secretary of the College of Cardinals
10 March 19947 March 1998
Succeeded by
Francesco Monterisi
Preceded by
Luigi Cardinal Poggi
Librarian of the Vatican Library
7 March 199824 November 2003
Succeeded by
Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran
Preceded by
Luigi Cardinal Poggi
Archivist of the Holy Roman Church
7 March 199824 November 2003
Succeeded by
Jean-Louis Cardinal Tauran

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