Birth. August 10, 1840 (1), Buda (2), archdiocese of Esztergom (Gran), Austria-Hungary. Of a noble family. Received the sacrament of confirmation in 1853.

Education. Studied at the Seminary of Budapest; at the Augustineum Imperial College, Vienna, 1862-1866; at the Royal University of Budapest, where he earned a doctorate in theology on November 25, 1869. Received the insignias of the clerical character and the minor orders on November 20, 1859; the subdiaconate on July 23, 1862; and the diaconate on July 25, 1862.

Priesthood. Ordained, December 14, 1862. Professor of biblical studies at the Royal University of Budapest, 1862-1869. Secretary to Cardinal János Simor, archbishop of Esztergom (Gran), in the First Vatican Council, 1869-1870. Rector of the Seminary of Budapest, 1870-1878. Canon of the metropolitan chapter and director of the archiepiscopal chancery of Esztergom, 1878-1888. Privy chamberlain of His Holiness ad honorem. Titular abbot of the monastery of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Babolcha. Counselor to the ministries of Worship and Public Instruction, 1882-1888. Nomnated to the see of Veszprém, Hungary, by Empeor Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary on April 18, 1888.

Episcopate. Elected bishop of Veszprém, Hungary, July 1, 1888. Consecrated, September 8,1888, Esztergom, by Cardinal János Simor, archbishop of Esztergom, assisted by Janos Zalka, bishop of Györ, and by Kornel Hidasy, bishop of Szombathely.

Cardinalate. Created cardinal priest in the consistory of December 2, 1912; the pope sent him the red biretta with an apostolic brief dated December 2, 1912; received the red hat and the title of S. Agnese fuori mura, May 28, 1914. Participated in the conclave of 1914, which elected Pope Benedict XV. Crowned King Károl I and Queen Zita of Hungary, December 30, 1916.

Death. February 9, 1917, Veszprém (3). Buried, cathedral of Veszprém.

Bibliography. Pięta, Zenonem. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recientoris Aevi. Volumen IX (1903-1922). Patavii : Typis et Sumptibus Domus Editorialis "Il Messaggero di S. Antonio" apud Basilicam S. Antonii, 2002, pp. 12 and 21 ; Ritzler, Remigium, and Pirminum Sefrin. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recientoris Aevi. Volumen VIII (1846-1903). Patavii : Typis et Sumptibus Domus Editorialis "Il Messaggero di S. Antonio" apud Basilicam S. Antonii, 1979, p. 588; Tusor, Péter. Purpura Pannonica : az esztergomi "bíborosi szék" kialakulásának elozminyei a 17. században = Purpura Pannonica : the "Cardinalitial See" of Strigonium and its Antecedens in the 17th Century. Budapest : Róma : Research Institute of Church History at Péter Pázmány Catholic University, 2005. (Collectanea Vaticana Hungariae, Classis I, vol. 3), pp. 209 and 329.

Webgraphy. Biography, in Hungarian, Magyar Elektronihus Könyvtár; biography, in Hungarian, Magyar Elektronihus Könyvtár; biography, in Hungarian, Magyar Katolikus Lexikon; and his portrait and photograph, Araldica Vaticana.

(1) This is according to the two biographies linked above, as well as La Gerarchia Cattolica e la Famiglia Pontificia, 1922, p. 65. Ritzler, Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recentioris Aevi, VIII, 588, says that he was born on January 15, 1840.
(2) This is according Ritzler, Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recentioris Aevi, VIII, 588. The first biography linked above also says that he was born in Buda, but the second one says that he was born in Pest. In 1873, Buda, Óbuda, and Pest were united into the city of Budapest.
(3) This is according to Ritzler, Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recentioris Aevi, IX, 12; La Gerarchia Cattolica e la Famiglia Pontificia, 1922, p. 65; and the second biography linked above; the first one indicates that he died in Esztergom.

©1998-2022 Salvador Miranda.