José Raúl Vera López

José Raúl Vera López (born 21 June 1945) is a Mexican friar of the Dominican Order. He was the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saltillo from 2000 to 2020. He is known as well for his struggle for human rights and social justice.

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Quick facts Church, Diocese ...

His Excellency, The Most Reverend José Raúl Vera López O.P.
Bishop Emeritus of Saltillo

Church	Roman Catholic Church
Diocese	Saltillo
See	Saltillo
Appointed	30 December 1999
Installed	20 March 2000
Retired	21 November 2020
Predecessor	Francisco Raúl Villalobos Padilla
Previous post(s)	Bishop of Ciudad Altamirano (1987-95) Coadjutor Bishop of San Cristóbal de las Casas (1995-99)
Orders
Ordination	29 June 1975 by Pope Paul VI
Consecration	6 January 1988 by Pope John Paul II
Personal details
Born	José Raúl Vera López (1945-06-21) 21 June 1945 (age 80) Acámbaro, Guanajuato, Mexico
Alma mater	National Autonomous University of Mexico Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas

Biography

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Early life and formation

Vera López was born on 21 June 1945 in Acámbaro, Guanajuato.

In 1968 he started his religious training in the novitiate of the Order of Preachers, also known as the Dominican Order, in the central Mexican city of León, Guanajuato. Subsequently, he studied philosophy in Mexico City and theology in Bologna, Italy.

Vera López is an alumnus of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) where he obtained a licentiate in Sacred Theology with a grade of summa cum laude. He was ordained a priest by Pope Paul VI on 29 June 1975 and consecrated bishop by Pope John Paul II on 6 January 1988.^[1]

Episcopal career

Vera López held several clerical posts, was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Ciudad Altamirano in 1987, coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de Las Casas in 1995, and bishop of the Diocese of Saltillo in 1999.

In addition to his clerical career, Vera López is an avowed advocate for human rights and social justice. With the risk for his own safety he expressed his views against abuse of power, corruption, absence of the rule of law and violations of human rights. Furthermore, he opposes the fact that, although Mexico is not really a poor country, around half of its 110 million people live below the poverty line.^[2]

He resigned his bishopric in 2020 upon reaching the age of 75.^[3]

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Recognition

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Vera López was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2012. He received several recognitions, e.g.:

2000: Don Sergio Méndez Arceo National Prize for Human Rights
2000: Roque Dalton Medal
2007: Medal of Merit in Mexico City
2009: Samuel Ruiz Award
2009: Hijo predilecto de Acámbaro Award
2010: Thorolf Rafto Memorial Prize
2013: Doctorate honoris causa in humanities from the Dominican Bayamón Central University in Puerto Rico.