Ángel Fernández Artime

Ángel Fernández Artime, S.D.B. (born 21 August 1960) is a Spanish Catholic archbishop who has been Rector Major of the Salesians since 2014, the first Spaniard to hold that office. He was previously provincial superior of the Salesian Province of Leon from 2000 to 2006 and of the Southern Argentina Province from 2009 to 2014.

Pope Francis made him a cardinal on 30 September 2023 and has announced that Fernández can continue to serve as rector until 16 August 2024. He is the first cleric made a cardinal while heading a religious order and he was the first cardinal elector not a bishop since Roberto Tucci spent two months as a cardinal elector in 2001.

His episcopal consecration was celebrated on 20 April 2024.

Early life
Ángel Fernández Artime was born in Gozón-Luanco, Asturias, on 21 August 1960. His father was a fisherman and his mother sold his catch. In 1970 his family moved to Astudillo, Palencia, where he enrolled in boarding school. He then studied for three years in Cambados (Pontevedra) and then entered the Salesian school in León. He professed his first vows on 3 September 1978 and his final vows on 17 June 1984 in Santiago de Campostela. He was ordained a priest on 4 July 1987 in León.

Fernández holds a bachelor's degree in pastoral theology, philosophy and pedagogy from the University of Valladolid.

Following his ordination, he began his ministry teaching religion at the Santo Angel Salesian College of Avilés (Asturias) and was then director of the Salesian College of Ourense.

Career
As a member of the Salesian Province of León, Fernandez was a member of the Provincial Council and vice provincial. From 2000 to 2006 he was superior of that Province. He was selected to team with the organizers of the 26th General Chapter in Rome in 2008. In 2009 he was elected provincial for the Southern Argentina Province, headquartered in Buenos Aires. There Fernandez worked with Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who later became Pope Francis.

The General Council of the Salesians elected him to a six-year term as rector major of the order in March 2014. He is the first Spaniard and third non-Italian to become rector of the Salesians.

As rector major, he presided at the opening of the celebrations of the 200th birthday of Saint John Bosco on 24 January 2015 in Turin.

He was elected to a second six-year term as rector on 11 March 2020.

On 9 July 2023, Pope Francis announced his plans to create him a cardinal at a consistory scheduled for 30 September. He is the first superior of a religious congregation be made a cardinal. At that consistory he was assigned the rank of cardinal deacon with the title of Santa Maria Ausiliatrice in via Tusculana.

Pope Francis initially told Fernández he could continue to serve as rector until 31 July 2024, when he will be given a new assignment. He later modified that date to 16 August. Fernández was made a member of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life on 4 October 2013. Fernandez announced that the Salesians plan to hold an election to replace him as rector in the spring of 2025.

His episcopal consecration was celebrated on 20 April 2024. Pope Francis assigned him the titular see of Ursona with the title of archbishop. He received his episcopal consecration from Cardinal Emil Paul Tscherrig, with co-consecrators Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero and Bishop Lucas Van Looy, both Salesians.