José Lebrún Moratinos

José Lebrún Moratinos (19 March 1919 – 21 February 2001) was a Roman Catholic Cardinal and former Archbishop of Caracas. Besides his native Spanish, he spoke Italian, Latin and French.

His Eminence José Lebrún Moratinos
Archbishop Emeritus of Caracas
Church	Roman Catholic Church
Archdiocese	Caracas
See	Caracas
Appointed	24 May 1980
Term ended	27 May 1995
Predecessor	José Humberto Quintero Parra
Successor	Ignacio Antonio Velasco García
Other posts	Cardinal-Priest of San Pancrazio (1983–2001)
Orders
Ordination	19 December 1943 by Gregorio Adam Dalmau
Consecration	2 September 1956 by Raffaele Forni
Created cardinal	2 February 1983 by Pope John Paul II
Rank	Cardinal-Priest
Personal details
Birth name	José Alí Lebrún Moratinos
Born	19 March 1919 Puerto Cabello, Venezuela
Died	21 February 2001 (aged 81) Caracas, Venezuela
Buried	Caracas Cathedral
Parents	Enrique Lebrún Josefina Moratinos
Previous post	Titular Bishop of Aradus (1956–58) Auxiliary Bishop of Maracaibo (1956–58) Bishop of Maracay (1958–62) Bishop of Valencia (1962–72) Titular Archbishop of Voncaria (1972–80) Coadjutor Archbishop of Caracas (1972–80) President of the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference (1984–90)
Alma mater	Pontifical Gregorian University Pontifical Latin American College
Motto	Veritatem facientes in caritate
Coat of arms

Styles of José Lebrún Moratinos
Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal
See	Caracas

Early life and priesthood

He was born in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, as the eldest of the five children. He was confirmed in his native city by Felipe Rincón González, Archbishop of Caracas. He was educated at Colegio San José, of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. He entered the Interdiocesan Seminary of Caracas, where he was taught from 1934 until 1937. He travelled to Rome to study at the Pontifical Gregorian University. He earned a licentiate in philosophy in 1941. He then started studying theology but had to leave Italy because of the Second World War. He was ordained to the priesthood on 19 December 1943. He served from 1943 until 1956 in Valencia, as a faculty member, spiritual director and rector of its seminary as well as its chaplain. He did pastoral work in several parishes and was chaplain of the local jail.

Episcopate

Pope Pius XII appointed him titular bishop of Arado and Auxiliary Bishop of the diocese of Maracaibo on 2 August 1956. He was consecrated exactly a month later by the Nuncio to Venezuela. He was appointed as Apostolic administrator of the see of Maracaibo on 23 October 1957. He was transferred to the see of Maracay in 1958. He was transferred to the see of Valencia en Venezuela in 1962. As a bishop he attended the Second Vatican Council. Pope Paul VI appointed him as Titular Archbishop of Voncaria and Coadjutor bishop of Caracas on 16 September 1972. He was elected Vice-President of the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference. He succeeded to the metropolitan see of Caracas on 24 May 1980.

Cardinalate

He was created and proclaimed Cardinal-Priest of S. Pancrazio in the consistory of 2 February 1983 by Pope John Paul II. He was elected as President of the Episcopal Conference of Venezuela, serving from 1984 to 1990. He resigned the pastoral government of the Archdiocese on 27 May 1995. He lost the right to participate a conclave upon reaching the age of 80 in 1999. He died on 21 February 2001 in Caracas. He is buried along with all the other bishops of Caracas.