Luis Ladaria Ferrer

His Eminence Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer S.J.
Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Church	Roman Catholic Church
Appointed	1 July 2017
Predecessor	Gerhard Ludwig Müller
Other posts	President of the International Theological Commission (2017-) President of the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei" (2017-) President of the Pontifical Biblical Commission (2017-) Cardinal-Deacon of Sant'Ignazio Loyola in Campo Marzio (2018-)
Orders
Ordination	29 July 1973 by Teodoro Ubeda Gramage
Consecration	26 July 2008 by Tarcisio Bertone
Created cardinal	28 June 2018 by Pope Francis
Rank	Cardinal-Deacon
Personal details
Birth name	Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer
Born	(1944-04-19) 19 April 1944 Manacor, Spain
Previous post	Secretary-General of the International Theological Commission (2004-08) Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (2008-17) Titular Archbishop of Thibica (2008-18)

Styles of Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer
Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal

Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer SJ (born 19 April 1944) is a Spanish Jesuit, theologian and a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. After a thirty-year career teaching theology, he joined the Roman Curia in 2004 as Secretary-General of the International Theological Commission. An archbishop since 2008, he became Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) in 2017.

Pope Francis made him a cardinal on 28 June 2018.

Birth and education

Ladaria Ferrer was born in Manacor, on the island of Majorca, Spain. He studied at the University of Madrid, graduating with a degree in law in 1966. He entered the Society of Jesus on 17 October 1966. After attending the Comillas Pontifical University in Madrid and the Sankt Georgen Graduate School of Philosophy and Theology in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Ladaria was ordained to the priesthood on 29 July 1973.

In 1975 he obtained a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, with a thesis entitled, The Holy Spirit in St Hilary of Poitiers.^[1]

Priestly ministry

Ladaria Ferrer became professor of dogmatic theology and the history of dogma at the Comillas Pontifical University. In 1984, he assumed the same position at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he was vice-rector from 1986 to 1994. He became a member of the International Theological Commission in 1992 and a consultor of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 1995.

In March 2004, Ladaria Ferrer was named Secretary-General of the International Theological Commission. He led the Commission's evaluation, beginning in 2006, of the concept of limbo and the prospects for salvation of infants who die unbaptized. The Commission concluded, in his words, that "there are more appropriate ways to address the issue of the fate of children who die without having received baptism, for whom a hope of salvation cannot be ruled out."^[2]

Episcopal ministry and work in the Curia

On 9 July 2008, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Ladaria Ferrer the Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and made him an archbishop^[3] with the titular see of Thibica. His episcopal consecration took place on 26 July 2008. The principal consecrator was Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, his predecessor as Secretary of the CDF. The co-consecrators were Cardinal William Joseph Levada and Bishop Vincenzo Paglia, one of the founders of the Community of Sant'Egidio. His appointment was criticized by some who considered his writings like Theology of original sin and grace and Theological Anthropology unorthodox. He told an interviewer: "I don't like extremisms, either progressive, or traditionalist ones. I believe that there is a via media, which is taken by the majority of professors of Theology in Rome and in the Church in general, which I think is the correct path to take.... Everyone is free to criticize and make the judgments they want. If you ask me if I'm concerned I have to say that these opinions don't concern me too much. Besides, if I was appointed to this office, I must presume that my works do not deserve these judgments."^[2]

He continued to be general secretary of the International Theological Commission^[4] until 22 April 2009, when he resigned and was succeeded by Charles Morerod, O.P. On 13 November 2008, he was appointed a consultor of the Congregation for Bishops and on 31 January 2009, a consultor of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.^[5] He was named a member of the Holy See's team charged with the dialogue with the Society of St. Pius X that began on 26 October 2009.^[6]

On 2 August 2016, he was named President of the Study Commission on the Women’s Diaconate, formed by Pope Francis to consider the possibility of allowing women to serve as deacons.^[7]

Ladaria Ferrer is considered to be theologically orthodox.^[1] He also has a predilection for the early Church fathers, patrology, and Christology.^[1] When asked in August 2008 to describe the issues facing the CDF he said: "I can't go into details. Our Congregation always moves with discretion and speaks exclusively through its acts."^[2]

Prefect

On 1 July 2017, Pope Francis appointed Ladaria as Prefect of CDF succeeding Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Muller.^[8] Ladaria also succeeded to the offices held ex officio by the Prefect: President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, President of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, and President of the International Theological Commission.^[9]

On 20 May 2018, Pope Francis announced that he planned to make Ladaria a cardinal on 28 June.^[10] At the 28 June consistory, he was assigned the deaconry of Sant'Ignazio di Loyola a Campo Marzio.^[11]

In an essay printed in L'Osservatore Romano on 29 May 2018, Ladaria writes that those who raise the possibility of female priests "create serious confusion among the faithful". He refutes attempts to cast doubt upon the infallibility of the pronouncements such as Pope Saint John Paul II's Ordinatio sacerdotalis. He cites the clear affirmations of Pope Francis on the matter. In closing, he says that it is essential for the Church to remain in Jesus: "Only fidelity to his words, which will not pass, ensures our rooting in Christ and in his love. Only the acceptance of his wise design, which takes shape in the sacraments, reinvigorates the roots of the Church, so that it may bear fruits of eternal life."^[12]

Selected writings

• El espíritu en Clemente Alejandrino: estudio teológico-antropológico (The Spirit in Clement of Alexandria: a theological-anthropological study), ISBN 9788485281244, 1980
• Introduccion a la antropologica teologica (Introduction to Anthropological Theology), ISBN 9788471519306, 1993
• El Dios Vivo y Verdadero: El Misterio de La Trinidad (The Living and True God: The Mystery of the Trinity), ISBN 9788488643407, 1998
• Jesucristo, salvación de todos (Jesus Christ, the salvation of all), ISBN 9788428531306, 2007
• Teologica del pecado original y de la gracia (Theology of Original Sin and Grace), ISBN 9788479145828, 2007
• Jesús y el Espíritu: la unción (Jesus and the Spirit: the anointing), ISBN 9788483535509, 2013
• La unción de la Gloria: en el Espíritu, por Cristo, al Padre (The anointing of Glory: in the Spirit, through Christ, to the Father), ISBN 9788422017233, 2014

Editor

• Diccionario de San Hilario de Poitiers, 2006
• Hilario de Poitiers, Comentario al Evangelio de San Mateo (Commentary on the Gospel of Saint Matthew), ISBN 9788422014874, 2010

See also

• Cardinals created by Francis

References

External links

• "Ladaria Ferrer Card. Luis Francisco, S.I." Holy See Press Office. Archived from the original on 14 July 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2018.