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| Francisco J. Viñas | |
|---|---|
| Second Quorum of the Seventy | |
| 6 April 1996 – 4 April 1998 | |
| Called by | Gordon B. Hinckley |
| End reason | Transferred to First Quorum of the Seventy |
| First Quorum of the Seventy | |
| 4 April 1998 – October 1, 2016 | |
| Called by | Gordon B. Hinckley |
| End reason | Designated an emeritus general authority |
| Emeritus General Authority | |
| 4 October 2014 | |
| Called by | Thomas S. Monson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Francisco José Viñas 28 December 1946 Seville, Spain |
Francisco José Viñas (born 28 December 1946) has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 1996. He is the first general authority of the LDS Church to have been born in Spain.
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a general authority is a member of the highest levels of leadership in the church who has administrative and ecclesiastical authority over the church. A general authority's jurisdiction is church-wide, in contrast to the responsibilities of a local authority or an area authority, which relate to a particular area, unit, or department of the church. As a group, the general authorities are often referred to as "the Brethren". As of October 2017, there are 109 general authorities.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian, Christian restorationist church that is considered by its members to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The church is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah in the United States, and has established congregations and built temples worldwide. According to the church, it has over 16 million members and 67,000 full-time volunteer missionaries. In 2012, the National Council of Churches ranked the church as the fourth-largest Christian denomination in the United States, with over 6.5 million members reported by the church, as of January 2018. It is the largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement founded by Joseph Smith during the period of religious revival known as the Second Great Awakening.
Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain, is a country mostly located in Europe. Its continental European territory is situated on the Iberian Peninsula. Its territory also includes two archipelagoes: the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa, and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. The African enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla, and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera make Spain the only European country to have a physical border with an African country (Morocco). Several small islands in the Alboran Sea are also part of Spanish territory. The country's mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar; to the north and northeast by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the west and northwest by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean.
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Viñas was born in Seville, Spain, but immigrated with his parents to Paraguay in 1948. His parents were baptized into the LDS Church in Paraguay and in 1950 the family settled in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a country of South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Although it is one of the only two landlocked countries in South America, the country has coasts, beaches and ports on the Paraguay and Paraná rivers that give exit to the Atlantic Ocean through the Paraná-Paraguay Waterway. Due to its central location in South America, it is sometimes referred to as Corazón de Sudamérica.
Baptism is a Christian rite of admission and adoption, almost invariably with the use of water, into Christianity. The synoptic gospels recount that John the Baptist baptised Jesus. Baptism is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. Baptism is also called christening, although some reserve the word "christening" for the baptism of infants. It has also given its name to the Baptist churches and denominations.
Montevideo is the capital and largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 in an area of 201 square kilometres (78 sq mi). The southernmost capital city in the Americas, Montevideo is situated on the southern coast of the country, on the northeastern bank of the Río de la Plata.
Viñas was employed by Bayer and the LDS Church's Church Educational System (CES), working as a director of an Institute of Religion in Uruguay and as the country director in Spain. Viñas was also employed by the LDS Church's finance department in Uruguay.
Bayer AG is a German multinational pharmaceutical and life sciences company and one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. Headquartered in Leverkusen, where its illuminated corporate logo, the Bayer cross, is a landmark, Bayer's areas of business include human and veterinary pharmaceuticals; consumer healthcare products; agricultural chemicals and biotechnology products; and high-value polymers. The company is a component of the Euro Stoxx 50 stock market index. Werner Baumann has been CEO since 2016.
The Church Educational System (CES) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consists of several institutions that provide religious and secular education for both Latter-day Saint and non–Latter-day Saint elementary, secondary, and post-secondary students and adult learners. Approximately 700,000 individuals were enrolled in CES programs in 143 countries in 2011. CES courses of study are separate and distinct from religious instruction provided through wards. Kim B. Clark, a member of the First Quorum of Seventy, has been the CES Commissioner since August 1, 2015.
Institutes of Religion are local organizations that provide religious education for young adults who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Local institutes may function in church meetinghouses, but may also have a stand-alone building situated adjacent to colleges or universities. The LDS Church describes the purpose of the Institute program as "weekday religious instruction for single and married postsecondary students." Institutes of Religion are professionally directed as part of the Church Educational System, with responsibility for the seminary program and the church's higher education institutions, including Brigham Young University (BYU).
Prior to his call as a general authority, Viñas was a bishop, stake president, regional representative of the Twelve (three times), and an area seventy in the church. He was also president of the Argentina Salta Mission (1988–90). In 1996, Viñas became a member of the Second Quorum of Seventy, and in 1998, he was transferred to the First Quorum of Seventy. Among his assignments as a general authority, he served as both a counselor and as president of the church's Chile Area, as a counselor in the Europe West Area, then later as a counselor and as president of the Caribbean Area. In October 2016, he was released as a General Authority Seventy and designated as an emeritus general authority. [1]
Bishop is the highest priesthood office of the Aaronic priesthood in the Latter Day Saint movement. It is almost always held by one who already holds the Melchizedek priesthood office of high priest. The Latter Day Saint concept of the office differs significantly from the role of bishops in other Christian denominations, being in some respects more analogous to a pastor or parish priest. Each bishop serves with two counselors, which together form a bishopric.
Regional representative of the Twelve, commonly shorted to regional representative or regional rep, was a priesthood calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1968 and 1995. As the title suggests, the responsibility of regional representatives was to represent the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the various regions or areas of the church. Regional representatives were not general authorities or general officers of the church, but were lay ministers who donated their time to church service.
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission. Depending on the particular mission, a mission president may also be the presiding priesthood leader of some or all Latter-day Saints within the geographic boundaries of the mission. Mission presidents are ordained high priests of the church.
Viñas is married to Cristina Gaminara and they are the parents of three children.
