Karl-Josef Rauber
Karl-Josef Rauber (born 11 April 1934) is a cardinal of the Catholic Church, who served as a papal nuncio from 1982 until his retirement in 2009.
Biography
After graduating from St. Michael's High School of the Benedictines in Metten in 1950, Rauber studied Catholic theology and philosophy at the University of Mainz. On 28 February 1959, he was ordained in Mainz Cathedral by Bishop Albert Stohr. He was a chaplain in Nidda and in 1962 earned a doctoral degree in canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. At the same time, he attended the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy. At the State Secretariat beginning in 1966, Rauber was one of four secretaries of the Substitute of the Secretariat of State, Archbishop Giovanni Benelli. He was primarily responsible for the German-speaking territories.[1] Pope Paul VI awarded him on 22 December 1976the title of Honorary Prelate of His Holiness.[2] In 1977 he was Nuntiaturrat in Belgium and Luxembourg and 1981 in Greece.[1]
On 18 December 1982, Pope John Paul II appointed him Titular Archbishop of Iubaltiana and pro-nuncio to Uganda. Pope John Paul II also consecrated him as bishop on 6 January 1983. Co-consecrators were the ex officio in the Vatican Secretariat of State, Eduardo Martínez Somalo and the Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Duraisamy Simon Lourdusamy. His motto is "Caritas Christi urget nos" (The love of Christ drives us).
On 22 January 1990, Pope John Paul II appointed Rauber President of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, a post he held until 16 March 1993. In 1991, he was assigned to investigate the problems encountered in the Diocese of Chur by Bishop Wolfgang Haas.[1] In 1993 he returned to the diplomatic service of the Holy See as Apostolic Nuncio in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, serving from 16 March 1993 to 25 April 1997, and then as Apostolic Nuncio in Hungary and Moldova from 25 April 1997 to 22 February 2003, and from that date as Apostolic Nuncio in Belgium and Luxembourg. When the Church leadership in Rome passed over his recommendation of three candidates for the position of Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels and Pope Benedict XVI named André-Joseph Léonard to the position instead, Rauber objected publicly and described Léonard as wholly unsuited for the appointment.[3][4]
Pope Benedict XVI accepted his resignation for reasons of age in 2009.
On 4 January 2015, Pope Francis announced that he would make him a cardinal on 14 February.[5] At that ceremony, created Cardinal-Deacon of the titular church of Sant'Antonio di Padova a Circonvallazione Appia.[6]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Helmut Krätzl (9 November 2009). "Laudatio für Erzbischof Dr. Karl-Josef Rauber". kath.ch. Katholischer Mediendienst. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
- ↑ Annuario Pontificio per l'anno 1982, Città del Vaticano 1982, S. 1936.
- ↑ Francesco Strazzari (2010-04-00). "La scelta di Léonard – Intervista con l’ex nunzio mons. Karl-Josef Rauber". Il Regno – Actualità (in Italian). pp. 85 ff. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
- ↑ Mickens, Robert (5 January 2015). "Francis chooses new cardinals from the margins". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
- ↑ "Annuncio di Concistoro per la creazione di nuovi Cardinali" (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 4 January 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
- ↑ "Consistory: list of titular church assignments". Vatican Radio. 14 February 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
| Diplomatic posts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Henri Lemaître |
Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to Uganda 18 December 1982 - 22 January 1990 |
Succeeded by Luis Robles Díaz |
| Educational offices | ||
| Preceded by Justin Francis Rigali |
President of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy 1990–1993 |
Succeeded by Gabriel Montalvo Higuera |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by Edoardo Rovida |
Apostolic Nuncio to Switzerland and Liechtenstein 16 March 1993 - 25 April 1997 |
Succeeded by Oriano Quilici |
| Preceded by Angelo Acerbi |
Apostolic Nuncio to Hungary 25 April 1997 - 22 February 2003 |
Succeeded by Juliusz Janusz |
| Preceded by Pier Luigi Celata |
Apostolic Nuncio to Belgium 22 Feb 2003 - 18 June 2009 |
Succeeded by Giacinto Berloco |