Juan José Omella was born in Cretas, Spain, on 21 April 1946. He studied at the seminary of Zaragoza and with the White Fathers in Leuven and Jerusalem, and was ordained a priest on 20 September 1970. After parish ministry and service as episcopal vicar in Zaragoza, he spent a year as a missionary in Zaire.
He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Zaragoza on 15 July 1996, Bishop of Barbastro-Monzón in 1999, and Bishop of Calahorra y La Calzada-Logroño on 8 April 2004, also serving as apostolic administrator of Huesca and Jaca. On 26 December 2015 he became Archbishop of Barcelona. He has been president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference since 3 March 2020.
Pope Francis created him a cardinal on 28 June 2017, with the titular church of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, and on 7 March 2023 appointed him to the Council of Cardinals. He turned eighty on 21 April 2026, ceasing to be a cardinal elector while remaining Archbishop of Barcelona.
Major Works & Initiatives
President of the Spanish Episcopal Conference
Leads Spain's bishops through a period of rapid secularisation.
Member of the Council of Cardinals
One of the Pope's closest advisory body of cardinals.
Archbishop of Barcelona
Metropolitan of Catalonia's capital and largest Spanish diocesan stage after Madrid.
Controversies
On the record
No significant public controversies reported.