In 1969 he was appointed Bishop of Tortosa, and later as archbishop of Barcelona in 1990, a post he held until stepping down in 2004. He was made a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in the consistory of 26 November 1994 and held the title of Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria Consolatrice al Tiburtino. He was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI.
