Emeritus Bishop of the San Sebastián Diocese.

Mr. José María SETIEN ALBERRO was born in Hernani on the 18th March 1928. He carried out his ecclesiastic studies at the Seminary of Vitoria and the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome where he earned a degree in Sacred Theology and received his doctorate in Canon Law.

He was ordained on the 29th of June 1951. In October 1955, he was appointed professor of Moral Theology at the Seminary of Vitoria and from 1960 he was a Professor at the Pontifical University of Salamanca, in both the Faculty of Canon Law and the Faculty of Theology, where he was appointed Dean.

During his stay in Vitoria he carried out the appointment of Spiritual Director at the Seminary. He was also Vice-Chancellor of the El Salvador School in Salamanca for people who found their vocation late in life. He was later Vicar for the Pastoral of the Diocese of Santander for some time.

On the 26th of September 1972, he was appointed Titular Bishop of Zama Minor and Auxiliary Bishop of San Sebastián, being consecrated Bishop by Bishop Jacinto Argaya in the Buen Pastor Cathedral on the 28th of October that same year.

From the 17th of February 1979 to the 13th of January 2000, José María Setién was Bishop of San Sebastián.

On the 23rd of December 2003, the Regional Council of Guipúzcoa awarded him the «Gipuzkoako Urrezko domina» Distinction for the work carried out in favour of truth and human rights.

Among his published work -a large number collected in the Obras Completas (Complete Works) that have been published since 1998 (vol. I-VI)- containing both the academic-scholar work as well as those oriented more at the critical illumination of ethical challenges in today's society and those being specifically pastoral.

The most recent titles are:

- De la Ética y el Nacionalismo, EREIN Editorial. 2003, San Sebastián, 132 pp.

- A los 40 Años de la Pacem in terris. Innovación y actualidad. Editorial IDATZ 2003, 42 pp.

- Pueblo Vasco y Soberanía, ETOR-OSTOA Editorial, San Sebastián. 2003. 195 pp.

- Unidad de España y Juicio Ético, EREIN Editorial 2004, San Sebastián. 92 pp.

- Bases éticas para la paz. Reflexiones actuales sobre la Pacem in terris, OSTOA Editorial 2004, Lasarte, 132 pp.

- Al servicio de la paz en la Justicia, IDATZ Editorial 2006,146 pp.

- Laicidad del Estado e Iglesia. Editorial PPC, Madrid 2007, 140 pp.

Un Obispo Vasco ante ETA, CRITICA de Planeta Editorial, 190 pp.

Foto: Javi Colmenero

Interview with Euskonews

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