José Freire Falcão (Brazilian Portuguese: [ʒoˈzɛ ˈfɾejɾi fawˈkɐ̃w]; 23 October 1925 – 26 September 2021) was a Brazilian prelate of the Catholic Church who was archbishop of Brasília from 1984 to 2004. He was created a cardinal in 1988.

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Quick Facts His Eminence Jose Freire Falcão, Church ...

His Eminence Jose Freire Falcão
Cardinal Archbishop Emeritus of Brasília
Falcão, 9 March 2003
Church	Roman Catholic Church
Archdiocese	Brasília
See	Brasília
Appointed	15 February 1984
Term ended	28 January 2004
Predecessor	José Newton de Almeida Baptista
Successor	João Braz de Aviz
Orders
Ordination	19 June 1949
Consecration	17 June 1967 by José de Medeiros Delgado
Created cardinal	28 June 1988 by Pope John Paul II
Rank	Cardinal-Priest
Personal details
Born	José Freire Falcão 23 October 1925 Ererê, Brazil
Died	26 September 2021 (aged 95) Brasilia, Brazil
Previous post(s)	Titular Bishop of Vardimissa (1967) Coadjutor Bishop of Limoeiro do Norte (1967) Bishop of Limoeiro do Norte (1967–71) Archbishop of Teresina (1971–84) Second Vice-President of the Latin American Episcopal Council (1987–91)
Motto	Servir em humildade
Coat of arms

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José Freire Falcão was born on 23 October 1925, in Ererê in the state of Ceara. He entered the seminary in Fortaleza at the age of 14. He was ordained a priest on 19 June 1949.

He was teaching at the seminary and leading the diocesan liturgy commission when, on 24 April 1967, Pope Paul VI named him titular bishop of Vardimissa and bishop coadjutor of Limoeiro do Norte.^[1] He received his episcopal consecration on 17 June and succeeded as bishop on 19 August.^{[citation needed]} He was transferred to the Archdiocese of Teresina on 25 November 1971.^[2]

Pope John Paul II appointed him archbishop of Brasília on 15 February 1984 and created him a cardinal on 28 June 1988, assigning him as a cardinal priest to San Luca a Via Prenestina.

He retired as archbishop of Brasília upon the appointment of his successor on 28 January 2004.^[3]

He was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI.^[4]

On 17 September 2021, Falcão was admitted to hospital as a precaution after being diagnosed with COVID-19.^[5] On 24 September, the Archdiocese of Brasilia announced Falcão's health had deteriorated, that he was intubated and in grave condition after suffering kidney and respiratory complications.^[6] He died from complications of the virus on 26 September 2021, at the age of 95.^[4] His Funeral Mass and burial in the crypt of the cathedral took place the next day.^[7]