Roman Catholic Cardinal. A native of Figueras de Castropol, Spain, Mario Casariego y Acevedo joined the Clerics Regular of Somasca in 1924 in El Salvador, making his solemn profession on October 3, 1930, in Somasca, Italy. After undergoing studies at the Somascan houses of studies in Bergamo and Genoa and later at the Somascan theological seminary of San Salvador, he was ordained priest on July 19, 1936 in San Salvador. Rector of the La Ceiba Institute of San Salvador, he served as counselor of his Order and provincial of Central America, until his nomination to the episcopate on November 15, 1958, as auxiliary for the archdiocese of Guatemala. Receiving his episcopal consecration with the titular see of Pudenziana on the following December 27, 1958, Casariego was promoted to the titular archbishopric see of Perge and appointed coadjutor with right of succession to the see of Guatemala on September 22, 1963, eventually succeeding on December 12, 1964 upon the demise of Msgr. Mariano Rossell y Arellano. Kidnapped for several days by a terrorist group in March 1968, he was named assistant at the Pontifical throne shortly after his liberation on June 4. Pope Paul VI created him cardinal priest in the consistory of April 28, 1969, with the title of Santa Maria in Aquiro, thus becoming the first Guatemalan Cardinal. Casariego died in Guatemala City of a heart attack after a long history of cardiac complications and is found buried inside the local metropolitan cathedral.
Roman Catholic Cardinal. A native of Figueras de Castropol, Spain, Mario Casariego y Acevedo joined the Clerics Regular of Somasca in 1924 in El Salvador, making his solemn profession on October 3, 1930, in Somasca, Italy. After undergoing studies at the Somascan houses of studies in Bergamo and Genoa and later at the Somascan theological seminary of San Salvador, he was ordained priest on July 19, 1936 in San Salvador. Rector of the La Ceiba Institute of San Salvador, he served as counselor of his Order and provincial of Central America, until his nomination to the episcopate on November 15, 1958, as auxiliary for the archdiocese of Guatemala. Receiving his episcopal consecration with the titular see of Pudenziana on the following December 27, 1958, Casariego was promoted to the titular archbishopric see of Perge and appointed coadjutor with right of succession to the see of Guatemala on September 22, 1963, eventually succeeding on December 12, 1964 upon the demise of Msgr. Mariano Rossell y Arellano. Kidnapped for several days by a terrorist group in March 1968, he was named assistant at the Pontifical throne shortly after his liberation on June 4. Pope Paul VI created him cardinal priest in the consistory of April 28, 1969, with the title of Santa Maria in Aquiro, thus becoming the first Guatemalan Cardinal. Casariego died in Guatemala City of a heart attack after a long history of cardiac complications and is found buried inside the local metropolitan cathedral.
Bio by: Eman Bonnici
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