Antonio María Javierre Ortás was born in Siétamo, in the Spanish community of Aragon, on 21 February 1921. After completing his primary and secondary studies in Huesca, Zaragoza and Barcelona, he entered the Salesian novitiate in Girona in 1939, and made his first profession in the Salesian Society of St John Bosco on 11 September 1940. He attended philosophy courses in Girona, Barcelona and Salamanca, pedagogy courses in Girona and Santander, theology courses in Salamanca, Rome and Leuven. He made his perpetual vows on 6 January 1946 in Salamanca and received his priestly ordination on 24 April 1949 in the same city.
Following the example of Don Bosco, he would have liked to live his vocation as a Salesian in direct contact with young people in a mission land, but Providence called him to other positions. Thus, he was an apostle in the university environment and in the environments of the Roman Curia. However, he never missed the opportunity to carry out his intense spiritual activity in the essentially theological field, but also in the broader field of culture, above all leading groups of professors and religious and as a chaplain to university students.
After obtaining his doctorate in Theology, from 1951 to 1976 he was Professor of Fundamental Theology at the Pontifical Salesian University in Turin.
He was called on as an expert for the Spanish Episcopate to the work of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council. Consultant to the Secretariat for Christina Unity, for a three-year period he was a member of the "Faith and Order" commission within the Ecumenical Council of Churches. In a different capacity, he participated in the three world conferences of the same Council held in New Delhi, Uppsala and Nairobi. In addition, he took part in some conferences on "Faith and Order" and "Church and Society" held in Geneva. Finally, he spoke at the meetings of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches in Paris, Geneva, Utrecht and Heraklion.
From 1959 to 1971 he also held the position of Dean of the Faculty of Theology at the Salesian University and was Rector Magnificus from 1971 to 1974. It was during this period as Rector that the Pontifical Salesian Athenaeum (PAS) was elevated to the rank of Pontifical Salesian University (UPS), based in Rome.
His academic activity was particularly intense in those years: in particular, he dedicated entire years of studies and teaching to the chair of dogmatic theology and to the ecumenical seminary. He was also invited numerous times to different universities in Rome and other cities. In addition, he was the creator, founder and general secretary of the "Symposia" of Fundamental Theology in Leuven and Gazzada.
On 20 May 1976 he was appointed by Pope Paul VI as Secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education and titular Archbishop of Meta, being consecrated the following 29 June – and having among his co-consecrators Archbishop Rosalio José Castillo Lara, also destined for the red hat a few years later.
His Salesianity was also shown in the choice of his episcopal coat of arms, a depiction of Don Bosco's Dream of the Two Columns. In fact, his writings and actions always showed his great love for Mary Help of Christians and Jesus in the Eucharist ("Everything is attracted by this centre of gravity" he wrote in one of his letters to Pope John Paul II).
Within the Roman Curia, he offered the contribution of his knowledge and experience to numerous dicasteries. He carried out an intense activity of theological dissemination and apostolate in the world of culture, especially through groups of professors and religious engaged in the fields of education and, as chaplain, among university students.
He was created Cardinal by Pope John Paul II on 28 June 1988, and out of respect for Salesian origins he was assigned Santa Maria Liberatrice at Monte Testaccio as titular church in Rome, the church entrusted to the pastoral care of the Salesians.
On 1 July 1988 he was appointed archivist of the Vatican Secret Archives and librarian of the Vatican Apostolic Library. He held these positions until 24 January 1992, when he was appointed Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. He carried out this service until 21 June 1996, and then left it "on tiptoe" to dedicate himself to the service that must never be abandoned: prayer" as Benedict XVI said of him.
Ill and worn out by treatment, he died of a heart attack at dawn on 1 February 2007, a few hours after celebrating a solemn Mass in honour of St John Bosco. After the funeral presided over by the Holy Father in St Peter's Basilica, he was buried in the catacombs of St Callisto.
