Cardinal dies just before beatification

2011-05-01 17:38

Vatican City - An 80-year-old Spanish cardinal in Rome for the beatification of late pope John Paul II died of a heart attack on Sunday shortly before the start of the ceremony, I.MEDIA news agency reported.

Agustin Garcia Gasco Vicente was a former archbishop of Valencia, who was made cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007. He was taken ill ahead of the ceremony and rushed to a hospital near the Vatican where he died.

After his death, there are now 198 cardinals of the Catholic Church.

He served as a religious adviser to the Spanish government and retired from the diocese of Valencia in January 2009 just before turning 78.

- AFP