Franc Rode

Franc Rode was born in Rodica near Ljubljana, in Yugoslavia (modern-day Slovenia). In 1945, he and his family sought refuge in Austria and later fled to Argentina in 1948. He entered the Congregation of the Mission, more commonly known as the Vincentians or Lazarists, in Buenos Aires in 1952, making his perpetual profession in 1957. Rode studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, and at the Catholic Institute of Paris, from where he obtained his doctorate in theology in 1968. Rode is fluent in Slovene, Spanish, Italian, French, and German.

Rode was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop André-Jean-François Defebvre CM, on 29 June 1960 in Paris. In 1965, at the request of his superiors, Rode returned to Yugoslavia, where he worked as vice-pastor, director of studies and provincial visitor of the Lazarists, and professor of fundamental theology and Missiology at the Theological Faculty of Ljubljana.

In 1978, Rode was made consultor of the Secretariat for Non-Believers in the Roman Curia, being transferred to that dicastery in 1981 and rising to become its Undersecretary in 1982. During this time, he assisted in the organization of some significant dialogue sessions with European Marxists. When Pope John Paul II united the Pontifical Council for Culture and Pontifical Council for Non-Believers in 1993, he appointed Rode Secretary of the new Pontifical Council for Culture. As Secretary, he served as the second-highest official of that dicastery, under Paul Poupard.

On 5 March 1997, Pope John Paul appointed Rode Archbishop of Ljubljana. He received his episcopal consecration on the following 6 April from Archbishop Alojzij Šuštar, with Archbishop Franc Perko and Cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic, Archbishop of Toronto, a fellow ethnic Slovene bishop from the diaspora serving as co-consecrators, in the Cathedral of Ljubljana. Rode successfully guided the negotiations for a new concordat to final approval in 2004.

Rode was created a Cardinal Deacon by Pope Benedict XVI on 24 March 2006.

His motto is a phrase in Old Slovene, "Stati inu obstati" (To Exist and Persevere / To Stand and Withstand), taken from the Catechism of Primož Trubar, which is also inscribed on the Slovenian 1 euro coin. In 2013, he was the first Slovenian in history to participate in a papal conclave.{{citation needed|date=May 2019}}

Rode returned to the Roman Curia upon his nomination as prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life on 11 February 2004.{{cite press release | language = it | publisher = Holy See Press Office | title = Rinunce e Nomine, 11.02.2004 | date = 11 February 2004 | access-date = 10 August 2021 | url = https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2004/02/11/0070/00232.html }} Pope Benedict XVI later created Rode Cardinal-Deacon of S. Francesco Saverio alla Garbatella in the consistory of 24 March 2006. In January 2011, he retired as the prefect of the Congregation.[http://www.sta.si/vest.php?s=a&t=0&id=1592071 STA.si][http://www.rtvslo.si/slovenija/papez-je-sprejel-rodetov-odstop/247780 RTVSLO.si]

Until his 80th birthday, Rode was a member of the various offices in the Roman Curia: congregations of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments; for Bishops; for the Evangelization of Peoples; for Catholic Education; Pontifical Council for Culture and the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei.

He was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2013 papal conclave that elected Pope Francis.

In August 2012, the Slovenian newspaper Delo reported allegations that Rode had fathered a child.[http://www.delo.si/novice/slovenija/razkrivamo-peter-s-upa-da-bo-rode-privolil-v-test-ocetovstva.html] Delo.si 28 August (in Slovenian) Retrieved 21 September 2012. Rode denied the allegations and expressed willingness to submit to a DNA test. He also announced lawsuits against the media for alleged breaches of his right to privacy. "After all they've done to me they deserve this," he said.[http://www.rtvslo.si/slovenija/rode-napoveduje-tozbe-po-vsem-kar-so-mi-povzrocili-si-to-zasluzijo/290283] RTVSLO.si 28 August (in Slovenian) Retrieved 21 September 2012. In October 2012, the alleged child, Peter Stelzer, and the alleged father, Franc Rode, performed a DNA test of fatherhood at the Institute for Legal Medicine in Munich. The test was reported negative by the institute and both Rode and Stelzer irrevocably agreed with the reported result.{{cite news |url=https://old.slovenskenovice.si/novice/slovenija/uradno-kardinal-rode-nima-sina-tozbe-zaradi-opravljanja-v-pripravi |title=Uradno: kardinal Rode nima sina, tožbe zaradi »opravljanja« v pripravi |language=sl |trans-title=It's official: Cardinal Rode has no son, a lawsuit for "gossip" is in the works |date=2 October 2012 |newspaper=Slovenske novice}}{{cite news |url=https://siol.net/novice/slovenija/uradno-franc-rode-ni-oce-petra-stelzerja-138781 |title=Uradno: Franc Rode ni oče Petra Stelzerja |language=sl |trans-title=Officially: Franc Rode is not Peter Stelzer's father |date=2 October 2012 |newspaper=Siol.net}}

{{reflist|2|refs=

{{cite web

|url=https://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/documentazione/documents/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_rode_f_en.html

|title=RODÉ Card. Franc, C.M.

|work=Vatican.va

|publisher=Holy See Press Office

|date=4 January 2011

|access-date=18 February 2012

}}

}}

• {{cite web| access-date = 22 November 2017| title= Rodé Card. Franc, C.M. |publisher= Holy See Press Office | url= https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_rode_f.html | url-status=live | archive-date= 4 September 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170904070633/http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_rode_f.html }}
• {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20061027161859/http://www.catholic-pages.com/hierarchy/cardinals_bio.asp?ref=233 Franc Rode]}}
• {{commons category-inline|Franc Rode}}

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{{s-bef|before=Jordán Gallego Salvadores}}

{{s-ttl|title=Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Dialogue with Non-Believers|years=1987 – 25 March 1993}}

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{{s-ttl|title=Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture|years=25 March 1993 – 5 March 1997}}

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{{s-ttl|title=Archbishop of Ljubljana|years=5 March 1997 – 11 February 2004}}

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{{s-bef|before=Alojzij Šuštar}}

{{s-ttl|title=President of the Slovenian Episcopal Conference|years=1997 – 2004}}

{{s-aft|after=Franc Kramberger}}

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{{s-bef|before=Eduardo Martínez Somalo}}

{{s-ttl|title=Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life |years=11 February 2004 – 4 January 2011}}

{{s-aft|after=João Braz de Aviz}}

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{{s-bef|before=Leo Scheffczyk}}

{{s-ttl|title=Cardinal-Deacon of San Francesco Saverio alla Garbatella|years=24 March 2006 – 20 June 2016}}

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{{s-non|reason=Himself as Cardinal-Deacon}}

{{s-ttl|title=Cardinal-Priest 'pro hac vice' of San Francesco Saverio alla Garbatella|years=20 June 2016 –}}

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{{Cardinals of the Catholic Church}}

{{Domžale}}

{{Slovenian cardinals}}

{{Authority control}}

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Category:1934 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from the Municipality of Domžale

Category:Slovenian emigrants to Argentina

Category:Vincentians

Category:Pontifical Gregorian University alumni

Category:Institut Catholique de Paris alumni

Category:Roman Catholic archbishops of Ljubljana

Category:Slovenian cardinals

Category:20th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Slovenia

Category:21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Slovenia

Category:Vincentian bishops

Category:Members of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments

Category:Members of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples

Category:Members of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life

Category:Members of the Pontifical Council for Culture

Category:Vincentian cardinals

Category:Cardinals created by Pope Benedict XVI

Category:Members of the Congregation for Bishops

Category:Members of the Congregation for Catholic Education

Category:Members of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts