Zeferino Gonzalez

Zeferino González

Dominican, cardinal, theologian, and philosopher, b. at Villoria in the Province and Diocese of Oviedo, Spain, 28 Jan., 1831; d. at Madrid, in the Dominican Convent of La Pasion, 29 Nov., 1894. On 28 Nov., 1844, in the College of Ocania González entered the Dominican Order, and a year later took his solemn vows. He was sent to Manila in 1848 to complete his studies, and in Jan., 1853, he was made a lector of philosophy. The following year he was ordained priest. After teaching philosophy and theology for many years in the University of Manila, he returned to Spain in 1867, where, the year following, he was elected rector of Ocania College, discharging the duties of this office for three years. In 1874 he was named Bishop of Malaga, but, before taking charge of this diocese, he was consecrated bishop of the Diocese of Cordova in Oct., 1875. Eight years later he was removed to the archiepiscopal See of Seville, and in Nov., 1884, he was created cardinal by Pope Leo XIII, with Santa Maria sopra Minerva as his titular church. In May, 1885, Cardinal González was appointed to the primacy of Spain, was made Patriarch of the Indies, vicar-general of the army, and major-chaplain to the royal chapel. After many years of splendid service González, in Dec., 1889, resigned all his offices and dignities, except that of the cardinalate, and retired from active life. The remaining five years of his life were spent in study and prayer. He was honoured with medals of Isabella the Catholic and Charles III, he was appointed chancellor of Castile, was chosen as royal adviser, made a member of the Royal Academy of Languages, of History, of Political and Moral Sciences, and of the Roman Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas. Among his several works are: "Estudios sobre la filosofia de Sto Tomas"; "Estudios religiosos, politicos y sociales"; "Philosophia elementaria"; "Historia de la filosofia"; "La Biblia y la ciencia"; "La infalibilidad pontificia" (pamphlet); "Discurso de recepcion en la Academia Espanola" (pamphlet); "Discurso de recepcion en la Academia de Ciencias politicas y morales" (pamphlet).

Acta Cap. Ord. Praed. (Rome, 1885); HURTER, Nomencl. lit., III (Innsbruck, 1895), 1499; VIGIL, La orden de praedicatores (Madrid, 1884), 297.

CHAS. J. CALLAN