Spanish Catholic bishop (born 1965)
In this
Spanish name
, the first or paternal
surname
is
Cobo
and the second or maternal family name is
Cano
.
Jose Cobo Cano
(born 20 September 1965) is a Spanish
prelate
of the
Catholic Church
. He has been serving as the
archbishop
of
Madrid
since his installation on 8 July 2023. He previously served as
auxiliary bishop
of that archdiocese.
Pope Francis
made him a
cardinal
on 30 September 2023.
Cobo became a priest in 1994 and was named an auxiliary bishop in 2017; after his ordination, he oversaw various social issue?related departments within the
Spanish Episcopal Conference
. Following a scandal about a case of sexual abuse by a teacher at an
Opus Dei
school, Cobo participated in a national meeting to address such cases within the Catholic Church.
His appointment as archbishop in 2023 drew controversy due to his limited experience?the previous five archbishops of Madrid had all been bishops in their own dioceses?and progressive views. During an interview, Cobo sparked controversy when he stated that he would not officiate same-sex marriages, comparing the act to celebrating the
Eucharist
with
Coca-Cola
.
Early life
[
edit
]
Jose Cobo was born on 20 September 1965 in the municipality of
Sabiote, Andalusia
, where he was baptized in the
Parochial Church of San Pedro
[
es
]
.
[1]
At 7 years old he went with his parents, Agustin and Pauli, to Madrid.
[2]
[3]
He earned a
licentiate degree
in
civil law
from the
Complutense University of Madrid
in 1988. The same year, he entered the
Madrid Conciliary Seminary
[
es
]
and
San Damaso
the same year, where he completed his
ecclesiastical
studies.
[1]
[4]
He pursued
moral science
at the
Comillas Pontifical University
(1994?1996).
[4]
[5]
Early priesthood
[
edit
]
Cobo was ordained a priest of the archdiocese of Madrid on 23 April 1994 by Cardinal
Angel Suquia Goicoechea
, Archbishop of Madrid.
[6]
He started his
ministry
as deputy at
Hermandades del Trabajo de Madrid
, a
Catholic evangelist
and social work organization (1994?1996).
[7]
[8]
Afterwards, he was a
vicar
(1995?2000) and
archpriest
(2000) at the
Parroquia de San Leopold
.
[8]
[9]
From 2000 to 2015, he was the
parish priest
of
St. Alfonso Maria de Ligorio
.
[8]
Subsequently, he was made member of the
Presbyteral Council
, a group of priests that give advice to the
ordinary
of the church (2000?2012; 2015?2017).
[8]
In 2001, he was nominated as archpriest of
Nuestra Senora del Pilar de Campamento
and served until 2015.
[9]
He was a permanent member in the II
Diocesan Synod
of Madrid, a meeting focused on deliberating legislative matters, from 2002 to 2005.
[9]
[10]
[11]
Later, he was appointed as
vicar episcopal
of the
Vicaria Episcopal II Nordeste
(2015?2017).
[5]
He was a
lecturer
at
Escuela de Agentes de Pastoral de Madrid
(1996?2000) and
Centro de Estudios Sociales de Caritas Diocesana de Madrid
(2000?2012).
[5]
[8]
[11]
Auxiliary bishop
[
edit
]
On 29 December 2017,
Pope Francis
appointed Cobo and two others
auxiliary bishops
of the Archdiocese of Madrid and named Cobo
titular bishop
of
Baeza
.
[12]
He received his episcopal consecration on 17 February 2018
[5]
from Cardinal
Carlos Osoro Sierra
, Archbishop of Madrid.
Like other bishops, Cobo had to select a
motto
and a coat of arms. His chosen motto, 'In misericordia Tua, confidere et servire' (In Your mercy, trust and serve), is meant to reflect his belief that entrusting to God and serving are the core principles of his life. He further states that these traits define his strengths and underscore his contributions to the Church and community.
[13]
[14]
Through his
ecclesiastical coat of arms
, Cobo wanted to symbolize four meaningful aspects of his personal and priestly life. These include the Cross with the
Five Holy Wounds
, a representation of his faith; a bell, reflecting his role in guiding the people of God through various situations; a wash-basin, reflecting his servitude to others; and a broken wall with a star in the background, referencing the discovery of the
Virgin of Almudena
and his town's patron saint, the
Virgin of the Star
[
es
]
.
[13]
[14]
During his time as auxiliary bishop, he was responsible for the Prison Pastoral Care Department (2018?2021) in the
Spanish Episcopal Conference
, an institution to help organize the pastoral functions of the bishops.
[10]
In the same institution he is a member of the Migration Department since 2019 and of the Episcopal Commission for Social Pastoral and Human Promotion since 2020.
[11]
In November 2018, a teacher at an
Opus Dei
school in
Bilbao
was discovered to have sexually abused a child from 2008 to 2010.
[15]
[16]
[17]
Following the case's revelation, Cobo talked with the victim's priest, subsequently reporting the incident to the school. The school trusted his account and indicated plans to relocate the teacher abroad; Cobo strongly objected to and criticized this decision, stating that school officials lacked compassion toward the victim or their parents. Cobo also called the bishop of Bilbao's handling of the situation "shameful".
[18]
Eventually, the teacher was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
[15]
This high-profile case led to a nationwide meeting addressing sexual abuse cases within the Catholic Church, in which Cobo participated.
[18]
Archbishop
[
edit
]
On 12 June 2023, he was named by
Pope Francis
as
archbishop of Madrid
, replacing Carlos Osoro Sierra.
[19]
[20]
He took canonical possession in 8 July 2023 at the
Cathedral of Santa Maria de Vitoria
.
[5]
On 29 June 2023, in a ceremony at
St. Peter's Basilica
ordained by Pope Francis, he received the
pallim
, an
ecclesiastical vestment
for
metropolitans
.
[21]
Appointed bishop at the age of 56, his maximum term of 19 years would be longer than usual.
[i]
[23]
His promotion was not well received within Madrid's clergy due to his lack of experience; he broke the tradition of the last five archbishops having to pass through other archbishoprics before reaching the capital.
[24]
[25]
Cobo was not part of the
terna
sent by the
papal ambassador
and was personally chosen by the Pope.
[4]
As an auxiliary bishop, Cobo had overseen various departments related to social issues. This profile fits with the progressive stance that has marked the Francis's
pontificate
, and it is believed to have played a substantial role in his appointment.
[4]
[26]
[27]
Earlier in 2023, the Pope had also made other contentious nominations,
Francisco Jose Prieto Fernandez
[
es
]
and
Jorge Ignacio Garcia Cuerva
; both auxiliary bishops, were elevated to the positions of archbishops of
Santiago de Compostela
and
Buenos Aires
, respectively.
[26]
[28]
[29]
As archbishop, he was made member of the Executive Commission and the Permanent Commission of the
Spanish Episcopal Conference
in July 2023.
[5]
That same month, Pope Francis announced he plans to make him a cardinal, along with 20 others, at a
papal consistory
scheduled for 30 September.
[30]
In an interview at
World Youth Day 2023
in Lisbon, Cobo criticized the church as being manipulated by "ideological interests" and as an instrument to win votes and reaffirm political positions.
[31]
During an interview, Jose Cobo sparked controversy when he stated that he would not officiate same-sex marriages, comparing the concept of sacramental same-sex marriages to celebrating the
Eucharist
with
Coca-Cola
.
[32]
[33]
[34]
See also
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
Diocesan archbishops and bishops are required to present their resignations at the age of 75.
[22]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
"Jose Cobo Cano"
.
Archidiocesis de Madrid
(in European Spanish)
. Retrieved
25 June
2023
.
- ^
"Lucas Cano, el tio cura del arzobispo Cobo: "Voy a estar al lado de mi sobrino siempre"
"
.
Religion Digital
(in European Spanish). 9 July 2023
. Retrieved
28 August
2023
.
- ^
"Nuevo arzobispo de Madrid: "El gran desafio es el desarraigo de los jovenes" ? Vatican News"
.
www.vaticannews.va
(in Spanish). 13 June 2023
. Retrieved
28 August
2023
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
"El anuncio del nombramiento de Jose Cobo para Madrid se espera tras la toma de posesion en Alcala de Henares"
.
Religion Confidencial
(in Spanish). 6 June 2023
. Retrieved
25 June
2023
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
"Jose Cobo Cano ? Conferencia Episcopal Espanola"
(in Spanish)
. Retrieved
25 June
2023
.
- ^
"Quien es Jose Cobo, arzobispo de Madrid"
.
Religion Digital
(in European Spanish). 9 July 2023
. Retrieved
28 August
2023
.
- ^
"Sobre nosotros"
.
Hermandades del Trabajo - Centro de Madrid
(in Spanish)
. Retrieved
28 August
2023
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
"Rinunce e nomine"
.
press.vatican.va
. Retrieved
28 August
2023
.
- ^
a
b
c
Benjumea, Rodrigo.
"El Papa nombra tres nuevos obispos auxiliares"
.
Archidiocesis de Madrid
(in European Spanish)
. Retrieved
28 August
2023
.
- ^
a
b
"Jose Cobo Cano, nuevo arzobispo de Madrid"
.
www.comillas.edu
. 13 June 2023
. Retrieved
28 August
2023
.
- ^
a
b
c
Gamazo, Mª Dolores.
"Archidiocesis de Madrid - Monsenor Jose Cobo, nuevo arzobispo de Madrid"
.
www.archimadrid.org
(in European Spanish)
. Retrieved
1 July
2023
.
- ^
"Resignations and Appointments, 29.12.2017"
(Press release). Holy See Press Office. 29 December 2017
. Retrieved
10 October
2023
.
- ^
a
b
"Mons. Jose Cobo Cano nuevo Arzobispo de Madrid | Gaudium Press Espanol"
.
es.gaudiumpress.org
(in Spanish). 12 June 2023
. Retrieved
28 August
2023
.
- ^
a
b
"D. Jose Cobo Cano ? Obispos ? Tu Iglesia"
.
COPE
(in Spanish). 22 October 2020
. Retrieved
28 August
2023
.
- ^
a
b
Nunez, Julio (15 November 2018).
"Condenado a 11 anos de prision un profesor de un colegio del Opus de Bizkaia por abusos sexuales"
.
El Pais
(in Spanish).
ISSN
1134-6582
. Retrieved
28 August
2023
.
- ^
Andueza, Iker Rioja (28 March 2023).
"Nueve hechos que desmienten las acusaciones del pederasta de Gaztelueta contra su victima"
.
elDiario.es
(in Spanish)
. Retrieved
28 August
2023
.
- ^
EFE (31 July 2023).
"El Vaticano rechaza las alegaciones del profesor del colegio Gaztelueta condenado por abusos sexuales"
.
Nius Diario
(in Spanish)
. Retrieved
28 August
2023
.
- ^
a
b
Bedoya, Juan G. (14 February 2019).
"
"Te ven vestido de cura en el metro y te llaman pederasta"
"
.
El Pais
(in Spanish).
ISSN
1134-6582
. Retrieved
28 August
2023
.
- ^
Debate, El (9 June 2023).
"Jose Cobo sera arzobispo de Madrid, un nombramiento que se desvela por falta de respeto al silencio pontificio"
.
El Debate
(in Spanish)
. Retrieved
25 June
2023
.
- ^
"El papa Francisco nombra a Jose Cobo nuevo arzobispo de Madrid"
.
El Espanol
(in Spanish). 12 June 2023
. Retrieved
25 June
2023
.
- ^
"El arzobispo electo de Madrid recibe el palio de manos del Papa"
.
La Vanguardia
(in Spanish). 29 June 2023
. Retrieved
28 August
2023
.
- ^
McElwee, Joshua J. (15 February 2018).
"Francis allows Vatican bishops to serve past age 75 in new 'motu proprio'
"
.
With the new motu proprio, the pope is essentially harmonizing the process of resignation for bishops serving at the Vatican with that for diocesan bishops, who are required to submit resignations at age 75 but can stay in office at the pope's discretion.
- ^
"Don Jose Cobo Cano: Un obispo para Madrid con tiempo por delante"
.
Religion Digital
(in European Spanish). 13 June 2023
. Retrieved
28 August
2023
.
- ^
"El Papa cambia el rumbo en Madrid: Jose Cobo, un arzobispo sin experiencia, progresista y de largo recorrido a lo Rouco"
.
El Mundo
(in Spanish). 12 June 2023
. Retrieved
1 July
2023
.
- ^
"El Papa cambia el rumbo en Madrid: Jose Cobo, un arzobispo sin experiencia, progresista y de largo recorrido a lo Rouco"
.
El Mundo
(in Spanish). 12 June 2023
. Retrieved
28 August
2023
.
- ^
a
b
Galone, Alberto (13 June 2023).
"Verdad sobre campana contra Jose Cobo como nuevo arzobispo Madrid"
.
elcierredigital.com
. Retrieved
1 July
2023
.
- ^
"Don Jose Cobo Cano: Un obispo para Madrid con tiempo por delante"
.
Religion Digital
(in European Spanish). 13 June 2023
. Retrieved
28 August
2023
.
- ^
"La reaccion de Novaresio y Majul ante la reciente afirmacion de Jorge Garcia Cuerva: "Me hace ruido todo"
"
.
La Nacion
(in Spanish). 1 June 2023
. Retrieved
28 August
2023
.
- ^
"El Papa cambia el rumbo en Madrid: Jose Cobo, un arzobispo sin experiencia, progresista y de largo recorrido a lo Rouco"
.
El Mundo
(in Spanish). 12 June 2023
. Retrieved
28 August
2023
.
- ^
"Le parole del Papa alla recita dell'Angelus, 09.07.2023"
(Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office
. Retrieved
9 July
2023
.
- ^
Raimundo, Antonio Marujo e Clara (7 August 2023).
"
"Ha muitos jovens que andam ansiosos, a espera de que a Igreja lhes diga algo"
"
.
Sete Margens
(in European Portuguese)
. Retrieved
28 August
2023
.
- ^
"El nuevo arzobispo de Madrid compara casar a dos homosexuales con celebrar una misa con Coca-Cola"
.
Publico
(in Spanish). 15 June 2023
. Retrieved
30 August
2023
.
- ^
"Jose Cobo, nuevo arzobispo de Madrid: "Dios no es Harry Potter. No soluciona, acompana"
"
.
Cadena SER
(in European Spanish). 14 June 2023
. Retrieved
30 August
2023
.
- ^
"El nuevo arzobispo de Madrid compara el matrimonio gay con una eucaristia con cocacola"
.
El Plural
(in Spanish). 15 June 2023
. Retrieved
30 August
2023
.
External links
[
edit
]