Pope praises service of Spanish Cardinal Gonzalez, who died at 86

Published: 2004-08-26

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- As he offered his condolences to Catholics in Spain, Pope John Paul II praised the selfless service of retired Cardinal Marcelo Gonzalez Martin, who died Aug. 25 at the age of 86. The cardinal had served as archbishop of Barcelona, 1967-71, then as archbishop of Spain's primatial see, Toledo, from 1971 until his retirement in 1995. He also served as bishop of Astorga. In his Aug. 26 telegram to Toledo Archbishop Antonio Canizares Llovera, Pope John Paul said he joined with the faithful of the dioceses where the cardinal had served, "asking God to grant eternal rest to one who had been a diligent pastor for many years." The pope said that "selfless pastoral action" marked his ministry as a professor in the diocesan seminary and at the state university in Valladolid, his active involvement in social service projects and his decades as a sought-after speaker and preacher.

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