Prayers: Venezuelan Cardinal Castillo Lara passed-away today

Following reports several days ago that Cardinal Castillo Lara was in "critical condition" comes that sad news that he passed away today at the age of eighty-five:

Cardinal Rosalio Castillo Lara, a longtime Vatican official and a leading critic of Venezuela's Preident Hugo Chavez, died on October 16 at the age of 85.

The Venezuelan prelate, who was living in retirement in his native country, was hospitalized in September with severe cardiac problems. He died as the country's bishops were gathering for a scheduled meeting in Caracas.

[More from CWNews here.]

Cardinal Castillo Lara is best known for his enormous help in the revision process of the 1983 Code of Canon Law, and for his vocal criticism of Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez.

The Death notice on the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church Biographies website:

Death. October 16, 2007, in the morning, in "Centro Médico de Caracas", Venezuela, where he had been hospitalized since September 19, 2007, due to an acute respiratory deficiency. The body of the cardinal is exposed in the church "Don Bosco", Altamira, Caracas, and it is possible that it will be transferred to the state of Aragua, where he was born. The exequies will last for three days.

More coverage:

• Associated Press
• El Universal: "Cardinal Castillo Lara is to remain in Venezuelans' memory as a great bishop and as the Venezuelan who has occupied the highest positions in the world church"