Borgia, Saint Francis

Borgia, Saint Francis

▪ Jesuit superior general
Spanish  San Francisco de Borjia , original name  Francisco de Borja y Aragon, 4e duque (4th duke) de Gandīa 
born Oct. 28, 1510, Gandía, Spain
died Sept. 30/Oct. 1, 1572, Rome; canonized 1671; feast day October 10

      Spanish nobleman who, as the third general of the Society of Jesus, was instrumental in spreading the Jesuits' influence throughout Europe.

      Educated at Saragossa, Spain, he married Eleanor de Castro, a Portuguese noblewoman, in 1529. After holding various appointments in the court of King Charles I of Spain, he was made viceroy of the Spanish region of Catalonia (1539), where he tried to carry out badly needed social and economic reforms. He resigned in 1543 when he succeeded to his father's dukedom.

      After Eleanor's death in 1546, Borgia entered the Society of Jesus. He founded the Jesuit College in Gandía, which was made a university by papal bull in 1547. In 1550 he went to Rome, where he was received by St. Ignatius Loyola, and his entry into the society was made public. He returned to Spain (1551), where he was ordained a priest. Ignatius named him commissary general of the Spanish provinces in 1554, and he was chosen general of the society in 1565.

      Under his leadership new provinces and colleges were established in Europe. Although his mission to Spanish Florida proved unsuccessful, the provinces of Peru and New Spain were established. He urged Pope St. Pius V to adopt two important policies for foreign missions: first, to centralize their government through a Roman congregation (similar to the later Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith); second, to insist that the civil rulers treat the native peoples humanely in order to win them to the faith.

      In 1571 Pius sent Borgia to Spain, Portugal, and France to strengthen the league against the Turks. He fell ill on the return journey and died shortly after reaching Rome. A selection of Borgia's letters was edited in Monumenta Historica Societatis Jesu, S. Franciscus Borgia, 5 vol. (1894–1911).

Additional Reading
Margaret Yeo, The Greatest of the Borgias (1936, reissued 1952).

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Francis Borgia, Saint — • Long essay on the dramatic life of the Duke of Gandia turned Jesuit Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006 …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Borgia Family — ▪ Italian family Spanish  Borja,         descendants of a noble line, originally from Valencia, Spain, that established roots in Italy and became prominent in ecclesiastical and political affairs in the 1400s and 1500s. The house of the Borgias… …   Universalium

  • Francis Borgia —     St. Francis Borgia     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► St. Francis Borgia     (Span. FRANCISCO DE BORJA Y ARAGON )     Francis Borgia, born 28 October, 1510, was the son of Juan Borgia, third Duke of Gandia, and of Juana of Aragon; died 30… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Francis Borgia — Infobox Saint name=Saint Francis Borgia birth date=birth date|1510|10|28|mf=y death date=death date and age|1572|9|30|1510|10|28|mf=y feast day=September 30 October 10 (Traditional Roman Catholics) venerated in=Roman Catholic Church… …   Wikipedia

  • Saint François Borgia — François Borgia Pour les articles homonymes, voir Borgia. Saint François Borgia …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Francis — Infobox Given Name Revised name = Francis imagesize= caption= pronunciation= gender = Male/Female mealoserLight Bringer region = origin = Latin related names = Franciscus footnotes = Francis is an English and Scottish first name and a surname… …   Wikipedia

  • Saint Joseph's University — Infobox University name = Saint Joseph s University motto = Spirit, Intellect, Purpose established=September 15 1851 type = Private president= Timothy R. Lannon, S.J. provost= Dr. Brice R. Wachterhauser affiliation = Roman Catholic (Jesuit) city …   Wikipedia

  • Saint-Rambert-d'Albon — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Saint Rambert. 45° 17′ 41″ N 4° 49′ 03″ E …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Francis Borgia — (1510–72)    Saint, Missionary and Educator.    Francis was the great grandson of Pope alexander vi and the son of the Duke of Gandia. Although he was drawn to the religious life from an early age, he married and had eight children. During this… …   Who’s Who in Christianity

  • Francois Borgia — François Borgia Pour les articles homonymes, voir Borgia. Saint François Borgia …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”