Franjo Kuharić

Roman Catholic Cardinal. Born in Pribić in the then Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, present day Croatia, Franjo Kuharić received his education at the classic lyceum of Zagreb and later at the theological faculty of the University of Zagreb. Ordained priest on July 15, 1945 in Zagreb by Archbishop Alojzije Stepinac, he performed pastoral work in the archdiocese of Zagreb between 1945 and 1964. Aged forty four, he was elected bishop of the titular see of Meta and appointed auxiliary for the named archdiocese of Zagreb receiving his episcopal consecration on May 3, 1964 from Msgr. Franjo Šeper, Archbishop of Zagreb. Apostolic administrator of Zagreb from 1969 until 1970, Bishop Kuharić was appointed its Ordinary on June 16, 1970. President of the Episcopal Conference of Yugoslavia between 1970 and 1993, Pope John Paul II created him cardinal priest in the consistory of February 2, 1983 with the title of San Girolamo dei Croati. President of the Croatian Episcopal Conference from 1993 until 1997, he was named honorary member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts in 1994. Retiring from the pastoral government of archdiocese on July 5, 1997, the "Rock of Croatia", a symbol of resistance to Communism, died in the archdiocesan palace of Zagreb and is found buried inside the local metropolitan cathedral next to the urn which houses the remains of Blessed Cardinal Alojzije Viktor Stepinac. On the tenth anniversary of his death, his successor Cardinal Josip Bozanić announced the launching of his beatification process.