Births on March 31

Eduardo Martinez Somalo, Spanish cardinal

Eduardo Martínez Somalo (Spanish pronunciation: [eˈðwaɾ.ðo maɾˈtineθ/maɾˈtines soˈmalo]; 31 March 1927 – 10 August 2021) was a Spanish prelate of the Catholic Church who spent most of his career in the Roman Curia, first in the Secretariat of State from 1956 to 1975 and from 1979 to 1988, and then leading two of its principal dicasteries: the Congregation for Divine Worship from 1988 to 1992 and the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life from 1992 to 2004.

He was made a cardinal in 1988 and held the post of Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church from 1993 to 2007, serving as administrator of the Holy See from the death of Pope John Paul II to the election of Pope Benedict XVI.

Earlier in his career he was the apostolic nuncio to Colombia from 1975 to 1979.