San Juan, Puerto Rico, Apr 11, 2012 / 11:03 am
Pope Benedict grieved the death of Cardinal Luis Aponte Martinez of Puerto Rico, who passed away at the age of 89 on April 10 – the same day he was ordained to the priesthood 62 years earlier.
In a message to local Church leaders on Wednesday, the Pope said he was “deeply saddened” by the news. He reflected that the late cardinal showed “great love for God and the Church” and lived immense “dedication to the cause of the Gospel.”
Cardinal Aponte had been seriously ill for some time and was hospitalized for over a month in the Puerto Rican capital. The archbishop emeritus of San Juan was the first Puerto Rican native to be ordained a bishop and the first to be elevated to the College of Cardinals.
Governor Luis Fortuno has declared five days of mourning for Cardinal Aponte and ordered flags be flown at half-mast at public buildings until Saturday. The cardinal will be buried at the Cathedral of San Juan.