Joan Enric Vives i Sicília
Joan-Enric Vives Sicília GCC (Catalan: [ʒuˈan ənˈriɡ ˈbiβəz i siˈsili.ə]; born 24 July 1949) is a Spanish cleric, who serves as Bishop of Urgell since 2003,[1] and is therefore the Co-Prince of Andorra. This makes him a joint-Head of State (alongside the President of France) and one of the two Roman Catholic religious figures who also leads a country (the other such prelate being the Pope of Vatican City).
His Excellency The Most Reverend Archbishop Joan-Enric Vives | |
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Co-Prince of Andorra | |
Reign | 12 May 2003 – present |
Coronation | 10 July 2003 |
Predecessor | Joan Martí i Alanis |
Co-Prince | Jacques Chirac (until 2007) Nicolas Sarkozy (2007–2012) François Hollande (2012–2017) Emmanuel Macron (2017–) |
Bishop of Urgell | |
See | Urgell |
Appointed | 25 June 2001 (Coadjutor) |
Installed | 12 May 2003 |
Predecessor | Joan Martí i Alanis |
Orders | |
Ordination | 24 September 1974 |
Consecration | 5 September 1993 by Ricardo María Carles Gordó |
Rank | Archbishop ad personam |
Personal details | |
Born | |
Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
Parents |
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Previous post(s) | Coadjutor Bishop of Urgell (2001–2003) Auxiliary Bishop of Barcelona (1993–2001) Titular Bishop of Nona (1993–2001) |
Motto | Parare vias Domini |
Coat of arms | ![]() |
Styles of Joan-Enric Vives Sicília | |
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Reference style | The Most Reverend |
Spoken style | Your Excellency |
Religious style | Monsignor |
He holds the rank of archbishop[2] as a personal distinction, his diocese being a suffragan diocese.
Life
Vives i Sicília was born in 1949 in Barcelona as the third son of Francesc Vives i Pons and of Cornèlia Sicília Ibáñez, who were small retailers. He entered the seminary in 1965 and studied humanities, philosophy and theology. In 1974, Vives was ordained a priest in his native parish Santa Maria del Taulat de Barcelona. He was later nominated as auxiliary bishop of Barcelona (and titular bishop of Nona) in 1993, and consecrated to the episcopacy and automatically became a member of the Spanish Episcopal Conference. Pope John Paul II nominated him as coadjutor bishop of Urgell in 2001. After two years, on the retirement of his predecessor Joan Martí Alanis in 2003, he succeeded him as Bishop of Urgell on 12 May 2003, and hence therefore as co-prince of Andorra in the Principality of Andorra located in the heights of the Pyrenees Mountains. On 10 July 2003, he carried out the Constitutional Oath as the new Co-Prince of Andorra at "Casa de la Vall", Andorra la Vella. Vives i Sicília was later elevated to archbishop as a personal title by Pope Benedict XVI in March 2010.[3]
Foreign honours
Grand Cross of the Order of Christ of the Portuguese Republic (5 March 2010).[4][5]
References
- Diocese of Urgell, gcatholic.org.
- "¿Quién es... Enric Vives Sicilia?". InfoVaticana (in Spanish). 7 November 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
- "Rinuncie e Nomine — Elevazione alla Dignità Arcivescovile Ad Personam del Vescovo di Urgell (Spagna) e Coprincipe di Andorra" (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 19 March 2010. Retrieved 20 March 2010.
- Portuguese Presidency Website, Orders search form : type "Joan-Enric Vives i" in "nome", then click "Pesquisar"
- "Presidente encontrou-se com Co-Príncipe de Andorra". anibalcavacosilva.arquivo.presidencia.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 7 April 2020.