After spending a month and a half in the hospital, Ecuador's fifth cardinal, Raúl Eduardo Vela Chiriboga, died. He was 86 years old and was archbishop-emeritus of Quito.
He was one of the most prominent figures of the Church in Ecuador. He was secretary general of the country's bishops' conference, as well as Military Ordinary. Benedict XVI made him a cardinal in 2010, and in 2013, he participated in the conclave that elected Pope Francis.
CARD. RAÚL VELA CHIRIBOGA
Archbishop emeritus of Quito (Ecuador)
“What is my testimony, as a good Catholic? To see that, God chose a Latin American brother to look after His Church. The same Latin America that follows the Lord devoutly and now fixes its eyes on Europe, as once Europe reached out to the Americas. So we're not just proud of having a Latin American Pope: we're proud because we can say that Latin America is living more deeply the Catholic faith.”
With his death, the College of Cardinals is left with 229 members. Of the total, 128 can participate in a future conclave, considering the consistory coming up on Nov. 28.
Daniel Díaz Vizzi
Translation: CT
