Aponte Martínez, Luis, << ah POHN tay mahr TEE nays, loo EES >> (1922-2012), was the first Puerto Rican cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Pope Paul VI appointed him a cardinal in 1973.
Aponte was born on Aug. 4, 1922, in Lajas, Puerto Rico, and was ordained a priest in 1950. In 1960, he was ordained a bishop and became auxiliary bishop of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Aponte served as archbishop of San Juan from 1964 to 1999, when he retired. He died on April 10, 2012.
