Fernando Natalio Chomalí Garib was born on 10 March 1957 in Santiago de Chile. He graduated in civil engineering from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, then studied philosophy and theology at the Pontifical Major Seminary of Santiago and was ordained a priest on 6 April 1991 for the archdiocese of Santiago de Chile. In Rome he earned a licentiate in moral theology at the Pontifical Alphonsian Academy, a doctorate in theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, and a master's degree in bioethics from the Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute. He taught moral theology and bioethics at the Pontificia Universidad Católica and served as a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life from 2001.
On 6 April 2006 he was appointed titular bishop of Noba and auxiliary bishop of Santiago de Chile, receiving episcopal consecration on 3 June 2006. On 20 April 2011 he was appointed archbishop of Concepción, and on 25 October 2023 Pope Francis named him metropolitan archbishop of Santiago de Chile, succeeding Cardinal Celestino Aós Braco; he was installed on 16 December 2023. He is vice president of the Episcopal Conference of Chile.
Pope Francis created him a cardinal in the consistory of 7 December 2024, assigning him the titular church of San Mauro Abate. He participated as a cardinal elector in the 2025 conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV.
Consequential Quotes
La Iglesia no es el club de los buenos, de los perfectos, sino de aquellos que necesitan salvación, y a eso estamos todos llamados.
Nosotros creemos que el aborto, la eutanasia, no es una solución auténticamente humana porque implica la deliberada eliminación de un ser humano inocente, y por lo tanto nosotros vamos a seguir promoviendo aquellas leyes que cuidan la vida.
Desde el momento de la fecundación se inicia una vida humana y eso no lo digo yo, eso lo dicen los libros de embriología donde estudian todos los estudiantes de medicina y de biología del mundo, y eso también lo dice el sentido común.
Chile es un país laico, lo sabemos, pero ello no significa que los creyentes tengamos que guardar silencio cuando vemos amenazados los fundamentos de la democracia y del Estado de derecho, sobre todo cuando se pretende aprobar leyes claramente injustas como el aborto y la eutanasia, porque atentan contra quienes el Estado debiese cuidar y proteger celosamente, los más débiles.
We must obey the law because we are not above the norms that govern the country.
Major Works & Initiatives
Member of the Pontifical Academy for Life
Member since 2001 per the Holy See biography; a bioethics voice in Chilean public debate.
Bioética. El valor de la vida humana a la luz de la razón y la fe
Book on bioethics presented at the Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción on 5 January 2010, covering the human embryo, abortion and related questions.
Pastoral letter 'Living the Gospel in Times of Crisis'
Twenty-page pastoral letter published 10 September 2018 as archbishop of Concepción, calling for full cooperation with civil authorities in abuse cases.
Vice President of the Episcopal Conference of Chile
Became vice president of the Episcopal Conference of Chile on 28 July 2021.
Controversies
Osorno and the Barros appointment
Chomalí served as apostolic administrator of Osorno from March 2014 to March 2015, during the controversy over the appointment of Bishop Juan Barros, who was accused by victims of failing to protect them from abuse — an accusation Barros denied. In the final days of that assignment Chomalí met Pope Francis and tried, without success, to convey the impact the appointment was having locally. The episode is documented in contemporary reporting; Chomalí's own 2018 pastoral letter later called for the Church in Chile to cooperate fully with civil authorities.