Hall of Honour (8): Rodolfo Vargas Rubio (1958 - 2025)

Rodolfo Vargas Rubio was born in Lima, Peru on 23rd November 1958 from Spanish parents. He had both Peruvian and Spanish nationality. His elementary and secondary schools were with the Jesuits in Lima. He studied Law at the Peruvian University of San Marcos, Philosophy at the Seminary of Cuenca (Spain), Theology at the Angelicum of Rome and History at the UNED (Spain). In 2005, Rodolfo Vargas Rubio wrote a biography of Pope Benedict XVI, published in Spain. He had the unique privilege of presenting a copy of this book ¿El último Papa? Benedicto XVI y su tiempo : perfil biográfico del Papa Ratzinger to His Holiness.

Vargas Rubio was a founder member and chairman of the Consociatio Culturalis Roma Aeterna, that joined the FIUV in 1997. He was also a founder member and chairman of the Sodalitium Internationalis Pastor Angelicus (SIPA), a lay association active from 1998 to contribute to the cause of beatification and canonization of the Venerable Pope Pius XII. Vargas Rubio spoke fluently Spanish, English, French, Italian and Catalan and knew Latin. He was also a knight of the Constantinian Order of Saint George and of the Royal Order of Saint Michael of the Wing (Portugal).

Rodolfo Vargas Rubio entered into the FIUV Council in 2007 and was elected Secretary of the Board in the same year and in 2009. During this time, he supported wholeheartedly Pro Tridentina (Malta)'s membership in the same organisation. He had to resign in 2011 for health reasons but stayed as councillor until 2017. 

As FIUV councillor FIUV he focused on two main areas: 

1) the promotion and diffusion of the FIUV in Spanish-speaking countries and strengthening the links between the associations of Spain, Portugal and Latin-America, and 

2) To fortify inner unity of the FIUV around its President in the challenge represented by the new circumstances that were being raised in Rome. 

In September 2025, Rodolfo Vargas Rubio passed away. He was a great Latinist and connoisseur of the liturgy and was also highly appreciated for his humility and generosity.

Requiescat in Pace

New FIUV Council 2013 -2015 elected

James Bogle, new FIUV President

During last week's XXI General Assembly of the FIUV, held in Rome, the Council for 2013 - 2015 was elected as follows:

 

President:

James Bogle (Una Voce Australia)

 

Vice-Presidents:

Felipe Alanis Suarez (Una Voce Mexico)

Paul Fournier (Latin Mass Society of Canada)

Marcin Gola (Una Voce Polonia)

 

Secretary:

Thomas Murphy (St Conleth’s Catholic Heritage Association –Ireland)

 

Treasurer:

Joseph Shaw (The Latin Mass Society)

Councillors:

Othon M. Alves (Una Voce Natal – Brazil)

Eduardo Colon (Una Voce Puerto Rico)

Christopher Cordeiro (Una Voce South Africa)

Leo Darroch (Una Voce Scotland)

Fabio Marino (Una Voce Italia)

Carlos Antonio Palad (Ecclesia Dei Society of St. Joseph - Philippines)

Rodolfo Vargas Rubio (Roma Aeterna, Spain)

Godwin Xuereb (Pro Tridentina, Malta)

Co-opted Councillors:
Oleg-Michael Martynov  (Una Voce Russia)
Matthew Schellhorn (The Latin Mass Society)

The first comments:

“I met Pope Francis very recently and he told me that he has no problem with the old rite, and neither does he have any problem with lay groups and associations like yours that promote it,” Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos told members of Una Voce International (FIUV), who were in Rome for a general assembly.

Responding to questions from FIUV members about tensions within the Friars of the Immaculate, the Colombian cardinal said that the Pope moved to insist on the use of the Novus Ordo in that religious community only because of internal dissension, and not because of any negative judgment on the traditional liturgy.

“We are very grateful to His Eminence Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos, His Eminence Cardinal Brandmüller, and to Archbishop Pozzo for taking part in our General Assembly of the International Federation Una Voce,” James Bogle, a lawyer, author, and chairman of the Catholic Union of Great Britain, said in a brief statement to CWN.

 

“We are very pleased with the way the celebration of the traditional Mass is now going worldwide. We are obviously very grateful to Benedict XVI and also our present Pope Francis for all the support that they have given us in our right to worship in the traditional Roman rite.” 

FIUV XX General Assembly: a brief report

(Address by Leo Darroch, FIUV President. Photo: courtesy St. Conleth's Catholic Heritage Association)

Saturday 5 November 2011

On Saturday morning, delegates and a number of distinguished guests (including Suor Margherita Marchione, MPF and Princess von Thurn und Taxis) attended the Tridentine Mass in St. Peter's Basilica. This was celebrated by Cardinal Dario Castrillón Hoyos (President Emeritus of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei) in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. The text of his sermon can be found in the previous post (in Italian). Mons. Pablo Collino, Maestro Emeritus of the Julian Chapel Choir was in choir.

Just after Mass, I held private talks in the Apostolic Palace.

Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke (Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature) joined the FIUV delegates for lunch. After lunch, His Eminence gave his benediction to those present.

In the afternoon, the XX General Assembly of the Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce started with the Address by its President, Leo Darroch. The 7 new member organisations were presented, they are:

• Ecclesia Dei Society of St. Joseph (Philippines),
• Una Voce Japan,
• Una Voce Portugal,
• Una Voce Natal (Brazil),
• Una Voce Cuba,
• Una Voce Albaruthenia (Belarus), and
• Una Voce Ucraina (Ukraine).

Leo Darroch was reconfirmed for a further term as President by acclamation.

The newly elected Council (including Pro Tridentina (Malta)'s representative) then proceeded to select the following officials:

• Vice-Presidents: Jack Oostveen (the Netherlands), Jason King (USA) and Patrick Banken (France).
• Treasurer: Monika Rheinschmitt (Germany).
• Secretary: Thomas Murphy (Ireland).

Rodolfo Vargas Rubio (Spain) had earlier renounced his post as Secretary due to health reasons. He however remains as a Councillor. I would like to take this occasion to thank Rodolfo for the hard work he devoted to our cause and the assistance he gave Pro Tridentina (Malta) in the past years.

Sunday 6 November 2011

In the morning, delegates assisted at a solemn Tridentine Mass celebrated by Fr. Joseph Kramer, FSSP at the Personal Parish of Santissima Trinita' dei Pellegrini.

In the afternoon, the FIUV General Assembly held an open forum at which a number of speakers delivered papers. They were:

• Fr. Joseph Valluari, FDP, who read a paper on the “private prayers” that the Priest says during Mass.

• Don Stefano Carusi, IBP, about the spirit and progress of the Institute of the Good Shepherd.

• Dr. Helmut Ruckriegel, a founder member of FIUV, gave a brief history of our organisation.

• Rev. Dr. José-Apeles Santolaria de Puey y Cruells, JCD (ABD), HistL, SMOM, on the value of Romanitas in the Traditional movement and the Roman Rite as a factor of Civilisation in the Western World.

• Mons. Valentín Miserachs, President of the Pontifical Institute for Sacred Music, on Sacred Music and the Centenary of the Pontifical Institute.

• Fr. Joseph Kramer, FSSP, gave statistics regarding the Priestly Fraternity.

• Canon Joseph Luzuy of the Institute of Christ the King, Sovereign Priest, about the progress of the Institute.

The XX General Assembly ended with the chant of the Salve Regina and the benediction by the priests present.

Godwin Xuereb
President, Pro Tridentina (Malta)
Councillor, Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce

Monsignor Domenico Bartolucci

di Rodolfo Vargas Rubio

Monsignor Domenico Bartolucci (Borgo San Lorenzo nella Toscana, 7 Luglio 1917), Maestro Perpetuo della Cappella Musicale Pontificia Sistina, compositore e Accademico di Santa Cecilia, riceverà anche lui il rosso capello dalle auguste mani di Sua Santità il Papa Benedetto XVI nell’annunziato concistoro di 20 novembre prossimo venturo. Anche se nel suo caso la sacra porpora sia puramente testimoniale (dato che il nuovo cardinale ha 93 anni e quindi non svolgerà nessun carico curiale ne parteciperà ad alcun eventuale conclave), si tratta comunque di una giusta ricompensa per tutto quello che lui ha fatto per la difesa della musica sacra, particolarmente nei più procellosi e difficili tempi della contestazione liturgica.