Turibius, Alfonso de Mogrovejo, Saint

TURIBIUS, Alfonso de Mogrovejo, Saint. - Born in 1538 (?), died on 23 March 1606.

He was a student of jurisprudence at the University of Salamanca, and in 1575 president of the "Consejo de la Inquisición en Granada," thus entering into relations with Philip II, who designated him as successor to the archbishop of Lima, Jeronimo de Loaysa, O. P., who had died in 1575. On 9 March 1579 he was preconized in Rome by Pope Gregory XIII, and confirmed on the 16th of the same month. Ordained priest in Granada and consecrated bishop in Seville in 1580, he set out for South America. As soon as he arrived, with the help of the viceroy Martin Henriquez he held the first diocesan Synod of Lima in 1582, and then sought to convoke a provincial Council of all South America which, under his direction, took place in 1583 as the III Provincial Council of Lima, and was of capital importance for the entire subsequent development of the Church in South America. This provincial Council was followed by two others, in 1591 and in 1601; moreover he celebrated 10 diocesan synods. With apostolic frankness he defended the rights of the Church against the civil power and against Philip II of Spain himself, as well as the rights of the bishop against the privileges of the religious orders. With great zeal he promoted the missions among the Indians, personally visited his vast diocese three times, and died in the course of the third visit in the Valley of Pacasmagno. He was beatified in 1679 and canonized by Benedict XIII in 1726. Feast on 23 March and 27 April.

Giovanni Rommerskirchen