{{Short description|Slovenian cardinal}} {{for|the Slovenian engineer and inventor|France Rode}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}} {{BLP sources|date=March 2008}} {{Infobox Christian leader | type = Cardinal | honorific-prefix = [[His Eminence]] | name = Franc Rode | honorific-suffix = [[Congregation of the Mission|CM]] | title = Archbishop Emeritus of Ljubljana<br/> [[Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life|Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life]] | image = Cardinal Franc Rode.jpg | province = | diocese = | see = | appointed = 11 February 2004 | enthroned = | term_end = 4 January 2011 | predecessor = [[Eduardo Martínez Somalo]] | successor = [[João Braz de Aviz]] | other_post = [[San Francesco Saverio alla Garbatella|Cardinal-Priest ("pro hac vice") of San Francesco Saverio alla Garbatella]] | ordination = 29 June 1960 | ordained_by = André-Jean-François Defebvre | consecration = 6 April 1997 | consecrated_by = [[Alojzij Šuštar]] | cardinal = 24 March 2006 | created_cardinal_by = [[Pope Benedict XVI]] | rank = Cardinal-Priest | previous_post = {{unbulleted list|Secretary of the Secretariat of Non-Believers (1987–1993)|[[Pontifical Council for Culture|Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture]] (1993–1997)|[[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ljubljana|Archbishop of Ljubljana]] (1997–2004)}} | birth_name = Franc Rode | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1934|09|23}} | birth_place = [[Rodica, Domžale|Rodica]], Slovenia | death_date = | death_place = | buried = | nationality = Slovenian | religion = Roman Catholic | residence = | parents = | alma_mater = [[Pontifical Gregorian University]], [[Catholic Institute of Paris]] | signature = | motto = Stati inu obstati | coat_of_arms = Coat of arms of Franc Rode.svg }} '''Franc Rode''' {{post-nominals|post-noms=[[Congregation of the Mission|CM]]}} (or '''Rodé''';<ref name="vatican.va" /> born 23 September 1934) is a [[Catholic Church in Slovenia|Slovenian Catholic]] prelate who served as prefect of the [[Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life]] from 2004 to 2011. He is a member of the [[Congregation of the Mission]] and was made a [[Cardinal (Catholic Church)|cardinal]] in 2006.<ref>{{cite news |title=Benedict XVI names 15 new Cardinals |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/6059/benedict-xvi-names-15-new-cardinals |work=[[Catholic News Agency]] |date=22 February 2006 |access-date=20 November 2010 }}</ref>
==Biography==
===Early life and religious profession=== Franc Rode was born in [[Rodica, Domžale|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 [[Institut Catholique de Paris|Catholic Institute of Paris]], from where he obtained his [[Doctor of Theology|doctorate in theology]] in 1968. Rode is fluent in [[Slovene language|Slovene]], Spanish, Italian, French, and German.
===Pastoral work=== Rode was [[Holy orders|ordained]] to the priesthood by Bishop André-Jean-François Defebvre CM, on 29 June 1960 in Paris. In 1965, at the request of his [[Superior (hierarchy)|superiors]], Rode returned to Yugoslavia, where he worked as vice-[[Curate|pastor]], [[Director (education)|director]] of studies and provincial visitor of the Lazarists, and professor of fundamental [[theology]] and [[Missiology]] at the Theological Faculty of Ljubljana.
===Curial work=== 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 [[Marxist]]s. 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]].
===Archbishop=== On 5 March 1997, Pope John Paul appointed Rode [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ljubljana|Archbishop of Ljubljana]]. He received his [[Bishop (Catholicism)|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 [[Slovenes|Slovene]] bishop from the diaspora serving as [[Consecrator|co-consecrators]], in the Cathedral of Ljubljana. Rode successfully guided the negotiations for a new [[concordat]] to final approval in 2004.
===Cardinal=== 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 euro coins|Slovenian 1 euro coin]]. In 2013, he was the first Slovenian in history to participate in a papal conclave.{{citation needed|date=May 2019}}
===Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life=== 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.<ref>{{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 }}</ref> [[Pope Benedict XVI]] later created Rode [[Cardinal-Deacon]] of [[List of titular churches in Rome|S. Francesco Saverio alla Garbatella]] in the [[Papal consistory|consistory]] of 24 March 2006. In January 2011, he retired as the prefect of the Congregation.<ref>[http://www.sta.si/vest.php?s=a&t=0&id=1592071 STA.si]</ref><ref>[http://www.rtvslo.si/slovenija/papez-je-sprejel-rodetov-odstop/247780 RTVSLO.si]</ref>
Until his 80th birthday, Rode was a member of the various offices in the [[Roman Curia]]: congregations of [[Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments|Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments]]; [[Congregation for Bishops|for Bishops]]; [[Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples|for the Evangelization of Peoples]]; [[Congregation for Catholic Education|for Catholic Education]]; [[Pontifical Council for Culture]] and the [[Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei]].
He was one of the [[Cardinal electors for the 2013 papal conclave|cardinal electors]] who participated in the [[Papal conclave, 2013|2013 papal conclave]] that elected [[Pope Francis]].
===Allegations of fatherhood=== In August 2012, the Slovenian newspaper [[Delo (newspaper)|Delo]] reported allegations that Rode had [[paternity (law)|fathered a child]].<ref>[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.</ref> 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.<ref>[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.</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|2|refs= <ref name="vatican.va"> {{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 }} </ref> }}
==External links== {{wikiquote}}
* {{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}}
{{s-start}} {{s-rel|ca}} {{s-bef|before=[[Bernard Jacqueline|Bernard Henri René Jacqueline]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Secretariat for Non-Believers|Undersecretary of the Secretariat for Non-Believers]]|years=1982 – 1987}} {{s-aft|after=José Montero}} {{s-break}} {{s-bef|before=Jordán Gallego Salvadores}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Pontifical Council for Dialogue with Non-Believers|Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Dialogue with Non-Believers]]|years=1987 – 25 March 1993}} {{s-non|reason=Office abolished}} {{s-break}} {{s-bef|before=Hervé Carrier}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Pontifical Council for Culture|Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture]]|years=25 March 1993 – 5 March 1997}} {{s-aft|after=Bernard Ardura}} {{s-break}} {{s-bef|before=[[Alojz Uran|Alojzij Šuštar]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ljubljana|Archbishop of Ljubljana]]|years=5 March 1997 – 11 February 2004}} {{s-aft|after=[[Alojz Uran|Alojzij Uran]]}} {{s-break}} {{s-bef|before=[[Alojzij Šuštar]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Slovenian Bishops' Conference|President of the Slovenian Episcopal Conference]]|years=1997 – 2004}} {{s-aft|after=Franc Kramberger}} {{s-break}} {{s-bef|before=[[Eduardo Martínez Somalo]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life|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]]}} {{s-break}} {{s-bef|before=[[Leo Scheffczyk]]}} {{s-ttl|title=Cardinal-Deacon of [[San Francesco Saverio alla Garbatella]]|years=24 March 2006 – 20 June 2016}} {{s-non|reason=Himself as Cardinal-Priest}} {{s-break}} {{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 –}} {{s-inc}} {{s-end}}
{{Cardinals created by Benedict XVI}} {{Cardinals of the Catholic Church}} {{Domžale}} {{Slovenian cardinals}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rode, Franc}} [[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:Catholic University of 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]]