SPAIN
El Pais

JUAN G. BEDOYA Madrid 13 ABR 2015

They say that it is best to retire with a golden parachute, but the way that Cardinal Antonio María Rouco has withdrawn from public life has raised many questions among Catholics, and has prompted public outrage.

Rouco, 78, was replaced last August as Madrid archbishop by the Vatican, but since then he has reportedly been living a life of luxury, while deciding on his own terms when and how he will retire.

Recent press reports state that Rouco lives in a €1.7-million apartment in front of Madrid’s Virgen of Almudena Cathedral. His six-room living quarters measure 370 square meters and include four bathrooms and a large balcony. The refurbishment of the apartment cost €370,000.

Pope Francis is reported to have been angered by Rouco’s refusal to step down, as per the Vatican’s mandatory retirement age of 75. In February,…