Cardinal Lebrún Moratinos

Born in Puerto Cabello in the Venezuelan diocese of Valencia, on March 19, 1919. He entered he Caracas Seminary and then moved to Rome to the Latin American Pius College to complete his philosophical studies at the Gregorian University. He was ordained a priest in Rome on December 19, 1943. He was elected Bishop of the titular see of Arado on August 2, 1956. On June 21, 1958 he was transferred to Maracay, and on March 19, 1962, to Valencia en Venezuela. In this last diocese he dedicated a great part of his work to increasing vocations and building new parishes. He was promoted by Pope Paul VI to Voncaria with the title of Archbishop on September 16, 1972; became Archbishop of Caracas on May 24, 1980; and on May 27, 1995, he renounced this last title. Pope John Paul II made him a cardinal during the Consistory of February 1983.