Javierre Ortas was born in Siétamo, Spain. He was ordained in 1949 and took his doctorate in theology in Louvain. For many years he lectured in fundamental theology and dogmatics in places such as Turin, Rome, Peru, Guatemala and Poland. During the Second Vatican Council he was a spokesman for the Spanish bishops in ecumenical questions.
In 1992, he participated in the decision to allow female altar servers in the Church. In 1994, Cardinal Javierre Ortas advising that women were permitted to serve at the discretion of the local bishop.[3]
^Held this church as a diaconate since 1988 but became a Cardinal-Priest in 1999. It is due to this that he held this diaconate as a titular church from the moment he became a Cardinal-Priest and is reflected like a different appointment rather than the same one.