Abril Castello, Santos

Cardinal Santos Abril Castello was born in Alfambra, Spain on September 21, 1935.

He was ordained a Pries for Teruel (-Albarracín), Spainon March 19, 1960, and on April 29, 1985 he was appointed Titular Archbishop of Tamada and Apostolic Nuncio to Bolivia. He ordination as a Bishop took place on June 16, 1985.

On October 2, 1989 he was appointed Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to Cameroun, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea. A few years later, on February 24, 1996, he was also appointed as Apostolic Nuncio to Yugoslavia, and then to Argentina on March 4, 2000.

On April 9, 2003, he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovin, and a few days later, on April 12, he was appointed as Apostolic Nuncio to Macedonia.

On November 21, 2005 he resigned as Apostolic Nuncio to Bosnia-Herzegovina, and on January 9, 2011, he retired as Apostolic Nuncio to Slovenia and Macedonia.

On January 22, 2011 he was appointed Vice-Chamberlain of the Apostolic Chamber, and on November 21 of that year, he was named Archpriest of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore {Saint Mary Major Basilica}.

He was appointed Cardinal-Deacon of San Ponziano on February 18, 2012 and elevated to Cardinal. He was installed on May 20, 2012.