Two Salesians on List of New Cardinals
(ANS – Rome – May
29, 2022) – After the Marian prayer of the Regina Coeli and the
reflection on today’s Gospel, on May 29 Pope Francis announced the convocation
of the consistory on August 27 for the creation of the 21 new cardinals. It is
a joy to note that two Salesians are on the list of the newly announced – Archbishop
Virgilio Do Carmo da Silva, of Dili, East Timor, and Bishop Luc Van Looy, emeritus
bishop of Ghent, Belgium.
Your humble blogger
with Bp. Luc in 2007 at Ghent
Luc Van Looy was born on
September 28, 1941, in Tielen, Belgium. He studied with the Jesuits in
Turnhout and at Don Bosco College in Hechtel. He joined the Salesians of Don
Bosco and made his first profession on August 25, 1962, and his perpetual
profession on March 6, 1968. He was ordained a priest on September 12, 1970. He
worked in South Korea from 1972 to 1984, including service as provincial. He
then held various responsibilities of leadership in the Congregation: general councilor
for Salesian Missions from 1984 to 1990, general councilor for youth ministry
from 1990 to 1996, and vicar of the Rector Major from 1996 to 2003. He was
nominated bishop of Ghent by Pope John Paul II on December 19, 2003,
and ordained bishop by Cardinal Godfried Danneels on February 1, 2004.
Pope Francis accepted his retirement in December 2018, but asked him to remain
as bishop until his successor was appointed, which occurred on November 27, 2019.
Virgilio Do Carmo da Silva was born on November 27, 1967, in Venilale, East Timor. After attending Salesian primary and secondary schools in Fatumaca, he joined the Salesians and made his first profession on May 31, 1990. He made his perpetual profession on March 19, 1997, and was ordained on December 18, 1998. From 1999 to 2004 and again from 2007 to 2014 Fr. Do Carmo was novice master for the Salesians. From 2005 to 2007 he did his licentiate in spirituality at the Salesian Pontifical University, Rome. From 2009 to 2014 he was the director of the technical school of Nossa Senhora de Fatima in Fatumaca. In 2015 he became the provincial of East Timor-Indonesia Vice Province. On January 30, 2016, he was appointed by Pope Francis as bishop of Dili, and in September 2019, Pope Francis appointed him East Timor’s first archbishop.
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