ENTREVISTA AL CARDENAL JOSÉ COBO, ARZOBISPO DE MADRID

“Together we pave the way to hope,” says our motto for this year’s Charity Day, and following this path, we wanted to take a look back at the most important moments in the life of our Archbishop of Madrid, Cardinal José Cobo, whom we interviewed at Caritas Madrid. Don José Cobo was born in Sabiote, a town in Jaén, of which he has “fond memories; I’ve always wanted to maintain my roots; the smell of jamila (a type of wild herb) is, for me, the smell of holidays.” From Sabiote, he went to Usera, his Madrid neighborhood, where he arrived with his parents at the age of seven, a “neighborhood where I’ve been surrounded by good people.” He recalls that “the neighborhood association, which met around the parishes during my teenage years, did a great service to the neighborhood.” His religious vocation didn’t stem from an extraordinary calling, but from a continuous journey, close to the Church, prayer, and parish groups, until “I felt I had to go further.” Thus, after graduating from university, where he studied Law, he entered the Seminary. During his time at the Seminary, he met professors and priests who left a profound mark on him. For this reason, the Cardinal also wanted to emphasize the importance of recognizing the work of many priests involved in religious and social life. “There are great priests in Madrid, in challenging neighborhoods, who have helped us a great deal; we should bring them back,” he told us. During his long period of formation, the Cardinal also spent a few weeks outside of Spain. From that time, he says he learned that “it is possible to talk to many people, speaking different languages, and understand each other.” And he has applied this to his work alongside other people of different nationalities and backgrounds, trying to understand each situation. Dedicated and involved “in all the Christian communities where I have been,” this is how these thirty years of priesthood have been for José Cobo, which he speaks of with pride and humility, because he says that “being a priest is the best thing that has ever happened to me.” Our archbishop has served in various parishes and vicariates, from the southern to the northern neighborhoods, such as Vicariate II, which encompasses diverse areas like La Elipa and the Salamanca district. Although the experiences have varied in each case, influenced by the social and educational levels of the residents, the cardinal says that the Christian sentiment is one and the same because “in Madrid we are able to unify the neighborhoods; we do this very well here because we speak the same language. Social class doesn't matter, whether you're from the north or the south; the Lord has called us to the same mission.” He confesses that the idea of ​​becoming a bishop had never crossed his mind, much less a cardinal. His has been a long, continuous, and humble journey, “step by step.” He even jokes about his previous idea of ​​what it meant to be a cardinal, “I didn't know what a cardinal did.” Now I do, he says, laughing. “Being a cardinal means going to Rome and collaborating on whatever the Pope asks of us; it has given me a broader perspective and a greater sense of shared responsibility with the Holy Father.” Besides his spiritual and religious side, Don José is a simple, family-oriented man. His parents, like many parents, closely follow their son's activities with admiration and care. “My mother follows me on social media, and my father manages my schedule; they know where I am even better now than when I was a child,” he laughs. And they continue to look after him, “advising me and praying for me.” An archbishop very close to the people, to the neighborhood, to the streets. And he says this is because “God has been pushing me to engage in dialogue with reality in an evangelical way; to see how God speaks or remains silent in the face of a specific situation. You also have that perspective of God at Caritas Madrid; you can see God through the people you accompany.” And with this mission to evangelize through acts of love, showing God in what we do, the Cardinal encouraged the Caritas Madrid family to approach Charity Day, on May 30th, by putting ourselves out there. “Put yourselves out there when you go out into the streets on Charity Day. Putting yourself out there means asking yourself what will happen to this person if I do nothing; it is the opposite of closing yourself off, hiding, or remaining silent.” The Cardinal concluded the interview with a final wish and expression of gratitude: that we continue to encourage, with creativity and dedication, the vocation of each person.