Cardinal Darío Castrillón Hoyos passed away in Rome at 1:15 a.m. on Friday morning. He was 88 years old and suffered from liver disease.
The cardinal from Medellín, Colombia did not have it easy: he met in-person with Pablo Escobar, whom he tried to convince to surrender.
Castrillón viewed Pope Francis' recent visit to his country as an opportunity to assist in the nation's reconciliation.
CARD. DARÍO CASTRILLÓN HOYOS
“No doubt this will help some people, and we hope many, who are on the road to peace. There have been popes who've come to Colombia, all with the desire for peace, but we have not yet reached peace. We are bellicose people.”
In Rome, John Paul II entrusted him with another difficult task: dialogue with the traditionalist movement founded by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.
CARD. DARÍO CASTRILLÓN HOYOS
“We always agreed on one thing: they never entered down the path of heresy. They had moments when they were away, but technically they never made any complete schism or heresy.”
Following his death, the College of Cardinals is reduced to 213 members, 98 of whom will be unable to vote in a conclave due to their ages of 80 or older.
