LUBLIN, Poland, OCT. 1, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum will be recognized for his theological contributions with the award of an honorary doctorate from the Catholic University of Lublin.
Cardinal Paul Cordes will receive this honor from the university’s faculty of theology on Friday, in recognition of his work in the Vatican.
Born in Kirchhundem, in the archdiocese of Paderborn, Germany, on Sept. 5, 1934, he studied dogmatic theology at the University of Mainz.
In 1975, Pope Paul VI appointed him auxiliary bishop of Paderborn, and in 1980, Pope John Paul II called him to serve in the Roman Curia, appointing him vice president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity.
In this position, Bishop Cordes had a decisive role in initiating the first World Youth Day in 1984.
In 1995, he was appointed president of the Cor Unum council, and in 2007 he became a cardinal.
Cardinal Cordes is the author of several books, stemming from his knowledge of the realities of the movements and new ecclesial communities.
His works include: «Call to Holiness» (1997), «Born of the Spirit: Renewal Movements in the Life of the Church» (1995), and «In the Midst of Our World: Forces of Spiritual Renewal» (1988).
