Stephen Hamao to Michael Kitbunchu

VATICAN CITY, APRIL 10, 2005 (Zenit.org).- This is another installment of biographical sketches of the cardinals who are eligible to have a role in electing the next pope.

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Stephen Hamao, 75
President of Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers

Stephen Hamao was born on March 9, 1930, in Tokyo. He was ordained a priest Dec. 21, 1957, and holds a degree in canon law.

He served as chaplain for the Catholic university students of the Archdiocese of Tokyo. In April 1970 he was ordained auxiliary bishop of Tokyo.

In 1979 he was named bishop of the Diocese of Yokohama, where he was responsible for various commissions of the bishops’ conference of Japan.

He was also a member of the Council of the Synod of Bishops and head of the Office for Human Development of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences.

Since 1998, when he was also raised to the dignity of archbishop, he has been president of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers. He was elevated to cardinal in 2003.

Curial membership:

* Evangelization of Peoples, Sainthood Causes (congregations)
* Cor Unum, Justice and Peace (councils)
* International Eucharistic Congresses (committee)

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Julián Herranz, 75
President of Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts

Julián Herranz was born on March 31, 1930, in Baena, Spain. He was ordained a priest on Aug. 7, 1955, for the Prelature of Opus Dei. He holds a licentiate in medicine with a specialization in psychiatry and a degree in canon law.

Father Herranz was a professor at the University of Navarra. In 1960, he was called to service in the Roman Curia. In 1983 he was appointed secretary of the Pontifical Commission for the Authentic Interpretation of the Code of Canon Law.

In 1990, following the re-naming of the commission (today the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts), he was appointed as secretary, receiving episcopal ordination Jan. 6, 1991.

In 1994 he was raised to archbishop and appointed president of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts. He was elevated to cardinal in 2003.

Curial membership:

* Bishops, Sainthood Causes, Evangelization of Peoples, Divine Worship and the Sacraments (congregations)
* Laity (council)
* Ecclesia Dei (commission)
* Apostolic Signature (tribunal)

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Cláudio Hummes, 70
Archbishop of São Paulo, Brazil

Cláudio Hummes was born on Aug. 8, 1934, in Montenegro, Brazil. He was ordained a Franciscan priest on Aug. 3 1958, and holds a doctorate in philosophy from the Antonianum, Rome, and a specialization in ecumenism from the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey in Geneva.

He taught philosophy at the Franciscan seminary in Garibaldi, at the major seminary of Viamão and at the Pontifical Catholic University of Porto Alegre.

He was adviser for ecumenical affairs to the bishops’ conference of Brazil, provincial of Rio Grande do Sul (1972-75) and president of the Union of Latin American Conferences of Franciscans.

In March 1975 he was appointed coadjutor bishop of Santo André and received episcopal ordination that May 25. He became bishop of the see that Dec. 29.

In May 1996 he was promoted to archbishop of Fortaleza and was appointed to São Paulo in April 1998. He was elevated to cardinal in 2001.

Curial membership:

* Divine Worship and the Sacraments, Doctrine of the Faith, Bishops (congregations)
* Laity, Family, Cor Unum, Interreligious Dialogue, Culture (councils)
* Latin America (commission)
* 10th Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops
* Council of Cardinals for the Study of Organizational and Economic Affairs of the Holy See

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Lubomyr Husar, 72
Major Archbishop of Lviv for Ukrainians

Lubomyr Husar was born on Feb. 26, 1933, in Lviv. Due to the war, his family fled to Austria and then to the United States. He was ordained for the Eparchy of Stamford for Ukrainians on March 30, 1958.

He taught in the seminary and was parish priest in Kehonkson, New York. After earning a doctorate in theology from the Urbanian University, Rome, he joined the Studite Monks and was superior of the Studion in Grottaferrata, Italy.

In April 1977 he was ordained a bishop and in July 1978 was named archimandrite of Studite Monks residing outside Ukraine.

In 1994 he organized a new Studite monastery in Ternopil, Ukraine, and was elected exarch of Kyiv-Vyshhorod in April 1996. In October 1996 he was appointed auxiliary to the major archbishop of Lviv. He was elected major archbishop of Lviv for Ukrainians in January 2001.

He is president of the Synod of the Ukrainian Catholic Church. He was elevated to cardinal in 2001.

Curial membership:

* Eastern Churches (congregation)
* Promoting Christian Unity, Interpretation of Legislative texts, Culture (councils)
* Special Council for Europe of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops
* 10th Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops

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Marian Jaworski, 78
Archbishop of Lviv for Latins

Marian Jaworski was born on Aug. 21, 1926, in Lwow, Poland (present-day Lviv, Ukraine).

He was ordained a priest June 25, 1950, and, after a year of pastoral work, continued his studies, earning doctorates in theology at the Theological Academy of Krakow and in philosophy at the Catholic University of Lublin.

He taught for several years at the Catholic Theological Academy of Warsaw and later at the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Kraków. He also lectured in metaphysics and the philosophy of religion at the seminaries of various religious orders. From 1981 to 1987 he was the first rector of the Pontifical Theological Academy of Krakow.

In May 1984 he was appointed apostolic administrator of Lubaczów, receiving episcopal ordination that June 23. In January 1991 he was promoted to archbishop of Lviv for Latins, and since 1992 has been president of the Ukrainian episcopal conference.

He was made a cardinal and reserved «in pectore» by John Paul II in 1998, and proclaimed in 2001.

Curial membership:

* Clergy (congregation)
* Family (council)

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Walter Kasper, 72
President of Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity

Walter Kasper was born on March 5, 1933, in Heidenheim/Brenz, Germany. He was ordained for the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart on April 6, 1957, and holds a doctorate in theology from the Theological Faculty of Tuebingen.

He taught dogmatic theology and was dean of the theological faculty in Muenster and later in Tuebingen.

He was appointed bishop of Rottenburg-Stuttgart in April 1989 and received episcopal consecration that June 17. In 1994 he was named co-chair of the International Commission for Lutheran/Catholic Dialogue. in June 1999 he was appointed secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

In March 2001 he was named president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. He was elevated to cardinal in 2001.

Curial membership:

* Doctrine of the Faith, Oriental Churches (congregations)
* Culture, Legislative Texts (councils)
* Apostolic Signature (tribunal)
* X Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops

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William Keeler, 74
Archbishop of Baltimore, Maryland

William Keeler was born March 4, 1931, in San Antonio, Texas. He received a bachelor’s degree from St. Charles Seminary, near Philadelphia, in 1952 and a licentiate in theology from Gregorian University in Rome, in 1956. He was ordained a priest on July 17, 1955, and later received a doctorate in canon law.

He was appointed peritus, or special adviser, to the Second Vatican Council by Pope John XXIII. At the close of the council in 1965, he was named papal chamberlain, with the title of monsignor, by Pope Paul VI. In 19
70 he was named Prelate of Honor by Paul VI.

In 1965 he was appointed to serve as vice chancellor of the Harrisburg Diocese and, in time, chancellor and later vicar general. He held the latter position when he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Harrisburg by Pope John Paul II in July 1979. His episcopal ordination occurred Sept. 21, 1979.

He was appointed bishop of Harrisburg in November 1983 and was installed Jan. 4, 1984. He served as the president of the U.S. bishops’ conference from 1992 to 1995. He was elevated to cardinal in 1994.

Curial memberships:

* Eastern Churches (congregation)
* Christian Unity (council)

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Michael Kitbunchu, 76
Archbishop of Bangkok, Thailand

Michael Kitbunchu was born Jan. 25, 1929, in Samphran, in the then Apostolic Vicariate of Bangkok.

He studied at the minor seminary of Siracha, in Thailand, and then in Rome at the Urbanian College of Propaganda Fide, earning a licentiate in philosophy and sacred theology. He was ordained a priest on Dec. 20, 1959.

When he returned to his country he served as assistant pastor and then pastor at Bangham, and a few years after, he was given the important parish of Calvary in the capital city.

As archdiocesan consultor, he became rector of the metropolitan seminary of Bangkok in 1965 until December 1972 when Paul VI appointed him archbishop of Bangkok. He was ordained on June 3, 1973. He was elevated to cardinal in 1983.

He has been president of the Thai bishops’ conference since May 2000.

Curial membership:

* Divine Worship and the Sacraments, Evangelization of Peoples (congregations)

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