Pope’s condolence message for Puerto Rican cardinal’s death

(April 11, 2012) Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday expressed his sorrow on the death of Puerto Rican Cardinal Luis Aponte Martinez. The 89-year-old retired Archbishop of San Juan de Puerto Rico died on Tuesday following cardiovascular and renal failure. In a condolence message to Archbishop Roberto Octavio Gonzalez Nieves of San Juan de Puerto Rico, the Holy Father described Cardinal Aponte as a “zealous pastor, who served his people with much love and simplicity.” The Pope recalled that the late prelate carried out a generous and intense ministry as bishop in Ponce, and later as archbishop of San Juan de Puerto Rico. He also participated in the Second Vatican Council in implementing its provisions in which the particular Church witnessed his great love for God and the church and his dedication to the cause of the Gospel. Pope Benedict also noted the great serenity with which Cardinal Aponte bore his illness. The late prelate was appointed cardinal in 1973 and participated in the election of Popes John Paul I and John Paul II. He was ordained in April 1950 and served as San Juan de Puerto Rico’s archbishop from 1965-1999.
About 85 percent of Puerto Rico’s nearly 4 million people are Catholic. With Cardinal Aponte’s death, the number of cardinals worldwide now stands at 210, 123 of whom are under the age of 80, and hence are eligible to vote in the case of the election of a new pope.