The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church

Biographical Dictionary
Pope Clement XI (1700-1721)
Consistory of September 30, 1720 (XV)
Celebrated in Rome


(69) 1. BORJA-CENTELLES Y PONCE DE LEÓN, Carlos de (1663-1733)

Birth. April 30, 1663 (or March 23 or 26, 1663), Gandía, diocese of Valencia, Spain. Fourth child of Francisco Carlos de Borja y Centellas, 9th duke of Gandía, and Duchess María Ponce de León. Brother of Cardinal Francisco Antonio de Borja-Centelles y Ponce de León (1700). His last name is also listed as Centelles. He was destined to an ecclesiastical career at a young age.

Education. Received his initial education at home; then, he studied for ten years, 1669 to 1679, at Colegio Mayor de San Ildefonso, University of Alcalá, Alcalá (doctorate in utroque iure, both canon and civil law).

Priesthood. Ordained (no further information found). Canon of the cathedral chapter of Toledo. Archdeacon of Madrid. Vice-almoner major of King Carlos II of Spain. Prior of Santa María del Sar in Santiago de Compostela. Abbot nullius of Alcalá la Real, Burgohondo (from April 30, 1724 until his death) and Santa Pía. Abbot of Santa Leocadia of Toledo. In 1698, he became member of the Consejo de Órdenes with the habit of Alcántara; and later, he received the office of sumiller de cortina of King Philip V of Spain and member of the Council of Italy. In 1701, he accompanied the king to Barcelona and Italy. Named vicar general of the armies of land and sea in 1702.

Episcopate. Elected titular archbishop of Trebisonda, July 20, 1705. Consecrated, monastery of the Incarnation, Discalced Augustinian nuns, November 30, 1705, Madrid, by Francesco Acquaviva d'Aragona, titular archbishop of Larissa, nuncio in Spain, assisted by Francisco Solís Hervás, O. de M., bishop of Lérida, and by Julián Cano Tevar, O.C.D., bishop of Urgel; the king and queen and entire court attended the ceremony. He retained all his benefices. Promoted to the titular patriarchate of the West Indies, retaining the titular see, October 3, 1708; and also pro-chaplain and major almoner of the palace. In 1709, he baptized Infante Felipe. In 1713 he was admitted to the Venerable Congregation of San Pedro of priests natives of Madrid, of which he was chaplain three times. In 1720, he administered the baptism to another infante also named Felipe.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of September 30, 1720; the king imposed on him the red biretta, which had been sent by the pope, in the royal chapel on February 2, 1721; received the red hat, June 10, 1721; and the title of S. Pudenziana, June 21, 1721. Did not participate in the conclave of 1721, which elected Pope Innocent XIII, because he arrived late. On January 21, 1722, he celebrated the marriage of Fernando, prince of Asturias, and Isabelle de Orléans. Participated in the conclave of 1724, which elected Pope Benedict XIII. On November 24, 1724, he administered the oath of the kingdom to Prince Fernando in the church of San Jerónimo el Real in Madrid. In the royal place of Madrid, on December 27, 1727, he celebrated the marriage of Infanta María Ana Victoria with Prince José of Brasil, heir to the throne of Portugal and eldest son of King João V. Did not participate in the conclave of 1730, which elected Pope Clement XII.

Death. August 8, 1733, Real Sitio de San Ildefonso (La Granja), Segovia. Exposed in that same place; and buried in the professed house of the Society of Jesus in Madrid. In Rome, solemn exequies were celebrated on August 26, 1733 by the Congregation of San Pedro; and the funeral oration was pronounced by Dr. Policarpo Gazini y Rozas.

Bibliography. Cardella, Lorenzo. Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa. 9 vols. Rome : Stamperia Pagliarini, 1794, VIII, 191-192; Goñi Gaztambide, José. "Borja y Centellas Ponce de León, Cardlos de." Diccionario de historia eclesiástica de España. 4 vols and Supplement. Dirigido por Quintín Aldea Vaquero, Tomás Marín Martínez, José Vives Gatell. Madrid : Instituto Enrique Flórez, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 1972-1975; Suplemento (1987), Suppl. 103; Guitarte Izquierdo, Vidal. Episcopologio Español (1700-1867). Españoles obispos en españa, América, Filipinas y otros países. Rome : Instituto Español de Historia Eclesiástica, 1994. (Publicaciones del Instituto Español de Historia Eclesiástica; Subsidia; 29), p. 18-19; Notizie per l'anno 1721. Rome : Nella Stamperia di Gio: Francesco Chracas, presso S. Marco al Corso, 1721, p. 126-127, no. 58; Ritzler, Remigium, and Pirminum Sefrin. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recientoris Aevi. Volumen V (1667-1730). Patavii : Typis et Sumptibus Domus Editorialis "Il Messaggero di S. Antonio" apud Basilicam S. Antonii, 1952, pp. 32, 51228 and 386.

Webgraphy. His portrait and biography by Florentina and Benicia Vidal Galache, in Spanish, DB~e, Diccionario Biográfico Español; his portrait and biography, in Spanish, Wikipedia; his genealogy, A1 F4, Genealogy EU; his portrait by Andrea Procaccini, Museo del Prado, Madrid, Steve Art Gallery AB; his engraving by Girolamo Rossi, Biblioteca Nacional Española, Biblioteca Digital Hispánica; his engraving by Juan Pérez, Biblioteca Nacional Española, Biblioteca Digital Hispánica; his engraving and portrait, Araldica Vaticana.

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(70) 1. CIENFUEGOS VILLAZÓN, S.J., Álvaro (1657-1739)

Birth. February 27, 1657, Agüerina, Belmonte de Miranda, diocese of Oviedo, Spain (1). Son of Álvaro Díaz de Cienfuegos, señor of the house of Agüerina, and María Villazón Queipo de Llano. He was baptized on March 20, 1657, in the parish of Agüera, by the pastor of the neighboring parish of Almurfe; his godparents were Bernardo de Grado, pastor of Agüera, and Francisca Gómez, a niece of this pastor. He had two brothers, Pedro, who became bishop of Popayán; and José, who became inquisitor of Valladolid; and two sisters, Leonor, who married Esteban de las Alas Pumariño; and Teresa, who married Francisco Bello. He is also listed as Juan Álvaro Cienfuegos and as Álvaro Díaz de Cienfuegos Sierra.

Education. Studied philosophy and humanities at the University of Oviedo from 1668-1672; then,studied law at Colegio de San Pelayo, University of Salamanca, from October 3, 1672 until 1676. Entered the Society of Jesus in Salamanca, in the Jesuit province of Castilla on March 15, 1676; professed in 1683; took the final vows on August 24, 1693. On September 3, 1694, he obtained the degree of magister in theology in Ávila. Obtained a licentiate in theology at the University of Salamanca on August 25, 1694. Obtained a doctorate at Colegio de Ávila, University of Salamanca.

Priesthood. Ordained, 1692. Professor of theology, Jesuit colegio, Santiago de Compostela, during sixteen years. Professor of theology in Salamanca. Professor of public theology, University of Salamanca, 1696-1700. Theologian of the Grand Admiral of Castilla, Juan Tomás Henríquez. During the War of Spanish Succession, he carried out a diplomatic mission in the name of Emperor Joseph I and his brother, Archduke Charles, before Kings Pedro II and João V of Portugal. After the triumph of King Felipe V of Spain, obtaining the throne, Father Cienfuegos was not able to return to Spain. In 1702, when the Grand Admiral Henríquez had to seek refuge in Portugal because of his support of Archduke Charles of Austria, he accompanied him and assisted him in his deathbed. Remained in Portugal until 1715 and was minister of the archduke; and visited England and Holland seeking support for the archduke's claims. Later, in 1715, he was called to Vienna and proposed for promotion to the cardinalate by the archduke as king of Spain.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of September 30, 1720; received the red hat and the title of S. Bartolomeo all'Isola, July 16, 1721.

Episcopate. Elected bishop of Catania, January 20, 1721. Participated in the conclave of 1721, which elected Pope Innocent XIII. Chargé d'affaires of the Austrian Empire before the Holy See from 1722. Consecrated, May 26, 1722, Tuesday of Pentecost, Jesuit professed house, Rome, by Cardinal Mihály Frigyes Althan, bishop of Vác, assisted by Girolamo Mattei, archbishop of Fermo, and by Sinibaldo Doria, titular archbishop of Patras. Participated in the conclave of 1724, which elected Pope Benedict XIII. Promoted to the metropolitan see of Monreale, February 21, 1725. Participated in the conclave of 1730. When Sicily fell to Spain in 1734, he was de facto deprived of his archdiocese and named administrator of the diocese of Pécs, Hungary, retaining the archdiocese of Monreale, November 15, 1735. Resigned government of the archdiocese of Monreale, April 24, 1739. A notable theologian, he was the author of celebrated works in theology as well as in history and biography.

Death. August 19, 1739, near 10:30 a.m., Rome. Exposed in the church of S. Ignazio, Rome, where the funeral took place, and buried in the chapel of the Madonna, in the church of Santissimo Nome di Gesù, Rome.

Bibliography. Batllori, Miquel. "Cienfuegos, Álvaro." Diccionario de historia eclesiástica de España. 4 vols and Supplement. Dirigido por Quintín Aldea Vaquero, Tomás Marín Martínez, José Vives Gatell. Madrid : Instituto Enrique Flórez, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 1972-1975; Suplemento (1987), II, 408; Cardella, Lorenzo. Memorie storiche de' cardinali della Santa Romana Chiesa. 9 vols. Rome : Stamperia Pagliarini, 1794, VIII, 192-194; Guitarte Izquierdo, Vidal. Episcopologio Español (1700-1867). Españoles obispos en españa, América, Filipinas y otros países. Rome : Instituto Español de Historia Eclesiástica, 1994. (Publicaciones del Instituto Español de Historia Eclesiástica; Subsidia; 29), p. 38; Martínez, Marcos G. "El Cardenal Cienfuegos". Beletín del Instituto de Estudios Asturianos, IX (1955), 382-403; Notizie per l'anno 1721. Rome : Nella Stamperia di Gio: Francesco Chracas, presso S. Marco al Corso, 1721, p. 127, no. 64; Ritzler, Remigium, and Pirminum Sefrin. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recentioris Aevi. Volumen V (1667-1730). Patavii : Typis et Sumptibus Domus Editorialis "Il Messaggero di S. Antonio" apud Basilicam S. Antonii, 1952, pp. 32, 44, 150 and 276; Ritzler, Remigium, and Pirminum Sefrin. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recentioris Aevi. Volumen VI (1730-1799). Patavii : Typis et Sumptibus Domus Editorialis "Il Messaggero di S. Antonio" apud Basilicam S. Antonii, 1968, p. 350.

Webgraphy. Biography by Ángel Santos Hernández, "Jesuitas y obispados: la Compañía de Jesús y las dignidades eclesiásticas", p. 184-189; engravings, arms and portrait, Araldica Vaticana; his portrait, secolo XX (1990-1999), bottega siciliana, regione ecclesiastica Sicilia, diocesi Catania, Beni Ecclesiastici in web (BeWeB); marble plaque, secolo XVIII (1723), maestranze siciliane, regione ecclesiastica Sicilia, diocesi Catania, Beni Ecclesiastici in web (BeWeB); his engraving by Francesco Zucchi, Biblioteca Nacional Española, Biblioteca Digital Hispánica; his engraving, Stromas políticos y morales del P. Diego del Castillo, Valladolid, 1729, Biblioteca Nacional Española, Biblioteca Digital Hispánica; Roman Catholic Diocese of Pécs, Wikipedia; Sede Vacante 1721, in English, John Paul Adams, California State University, Northridge; Sede Vacante 1724, in English, John Paul Adams, California State University, Northridge; La heroyca vida, virtudes y milagros del grande San Francisco de Borja, antes Quarto Duque de Gandia; y despues Tercero General de la Compañia de Jesus Escriviola el Emintenissimo, y Reverendissimo Padre Don Álvaro Cien-fuegos , Cardenal de la Santa Iglesia de Roma, Arçobispo de Monreal, etc. Y se Consagra esta tercera impression a Maria Santissima de los Llanos, venerada en su Iglesia de la Villa de Honotoba, Provincia de la Alcarria. Con la dedicatoria a el Almirante Año 1726. Con licencia. En Madrid: En la Imprenta de bernardo Peralta, vive enfrente del Horno de la Mata. Año de 1716. A costa de Francisco Medel del Castillo , Mercader de Libros : Vendese en su Casa, en la Plaçuela de la Calle de la Paz. Google libros.

(1) This is according to Notizie per l'anno 1721, p. 127, no. 64. Batllori, "Cienfuegos, Álvaro." Diccionario de historia eclesiástica de España, II, 408, says that he was born on March 20, 1657. Martínez, "El Cardenal Cienfuegos", Beletín del Instituto de Estudios Asturianos, 383, says that date of birth commonly cited is February 27, 1657 but that he was not inscribed in the book of baptisms of the parish of San Andrés de Agüera until the following March 20.

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