Cardinal Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa, of the Schönstatt Fathers, Archbishop emeritus of Santiago, Chile, was born on 5 September 1933 in Santiago. He was ordained for the Schönstatt Fathers on 16 July 1961 and holds a licentiate in theology from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland.

He was a chaplain to students and professionals of the Schönstatt Movement and served as Regional Superior in Chile. In 1971 he was called to Germany as a member of his community's General Council and in 1974 was elected Superior General.

On 22 December 1990 he was appointed titular Archbishop of Hólar and Secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, receiving episcopal ordination on 6 January 1991.

On 24 September 1996 he was named Archbishop-Bishop of Valparaíso and was transferred to the Archdiocese of Santiago on 24 April 1998.

He was President of the Episcopal Conference of Chile until 25 November 2004.

On 16 May 2003 and until 10 July 2007, he was President of the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM), .

President of the Fifth General Conference of the Latin American and CaribbeanBishops (Aparecida, Brazil, 13 - 31 May 2007).

Archbishop emeritus of Santiago, Chile, 15 December 2010.

On 13 April 2013 he was made a member of the Council of cardinals established to advise Pope Francis in the government of the universal Church and to study a plan for revising the Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia,‘Pastor Bonus’.

He participated in the conclave of April 2005, which elected Pope Benedict XVI and in the conclave of March 2013, which elected Pope Francis.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by the St. John Paul II in the consistory of 21 February 2001, of the Title of S. Maria della Pace (Our Lady of Peace).