António Mendes Belo
Encyclopedia
Dom
António I Mendes Belo (18 June 1842 - 5 August 1929) was a Cardinal
of the Roman Catholic Church
and Patriarch of Lisbon
.
António Mendes Belo was born at São Pedro, Gouveia
, (District of Guarda), Portugal
, son of Miguel Mendes Belo and wife Rosalina dos Santos de Almeida da Mota. He was educated at the Seminary
of Coimbra
, and later at the University of Coimbra where he earned a licentiate
in canon law
. He received minor orders
on December 21, 1860, the subdiaconate on 21 May 1864 and the diaconate on 17 December 1864.
of Funchal
and from 1865 to 1871, professor
of theology
at the Seminary of Pinhel
(diocese suppressed on 30 September 1881 by being incorporated in Guarda). He did pastoral work in the parish
of Espinheiro. He was vicar general of the diocese of Pinhel from 1874 until 1881 and of the diocese of Aveiro in 1881. He was also vicar general of Lisbon
from 1881 until 1884.
of Lisbon on 24 March 1884 by Pope Leo XIII
. He was consecrated on 27 April of that year. He was transferred to the see of Faro with title of Archbishop
ad personam on 13 November 1884. He was promoted to the patriarch
ate of Lisbon on 19 December 1907 by Pope Pius X
.
, on 27 November 1911. He was expelled from Lisbon for two years (1911-1913) for an infraction of the law of the separation of Church and State
during which time he resided in Gouveia. His elevation to the cardinalate was published on 25 May 1914. He received the red hat and the title on 8 September 1914. He participated in the conclave of 1914
that elected Pope Benedict XV
. He was a member of Portuguese Academy of Sciences in 1922. He participated in the conclave of 1922
that elected Pope Pius XI
. He was made the 568th Grand Cross
of the Royal Order of Our Lady of Concepcion of Vila Viçosa
. He died in Lisbon
in 1929.
Don (honorific)
Don, from Latin dominus, is an honorific in Spanish , Portuguese , and Italian . The female equivalent is Doña , Dona , and Donna , abbreviated "Dª" or simply "D."-Usage:...
António I Mendes Belo (18 June 1842 - 5 August 1929) was a Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and Patriarch of Lisbon
Patriarch of Lisbon
The Patriarch of Lisbon is an honorary title possessed by the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Lisbon.The first patriarch of Lisbon was D. Tomás de Almeida, who was appointed in 1716 by Pope Clement XI...
.
António Mendes Belo was born at São Pedro, Gouveia
Gouveia
Gouveia is a city and a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 300.6 km² and a total population of 15,792 inhabitants. The city itself has a population of 3,759....
, (District of Guarda), Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, son of Miguel Mendes Belo and wife Rosalina dos Santos de Almeida da Mota. He was educated at the Seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
of Coimbra
Coimbra
Coimbra is a city in the municipality of Coimbra in Portugal. Although it served as the nation's capital during the High Middle Ages, it is better-known for its university, the University of Coimbra, which is one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the...
, and later at the University of Coimbra where he earned a licentiate
Licentiate
Licentiate is the title of a person who holds an academic degree called a licence. The term may derive from the Latin licentia docendi, meaning permission to teach. The term may also derive from the Latin licentia ad practicandum, which signified someone who held a certificate of competence to...
in canon law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
. He received minor orders
Minor orders
The minor orders are the lowest ranks in the Christian clergy. The most recognized minor orders are porter, lector, exorcist, and acolyte. In the Latin rite Catholic Church, the minor orders were in most cases replaced by "instituted" ministries of lector and acolyte, though communities that use...
on December 21, 1860, the subdiaconate on 21 May 1864 and the diaconate on 17 December 1864.
Priesthood
He was ordained on 10 June 1865. From 1865 to 1884 he was vicar generalVicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of Funchal
Funchal
Funchal is the largest city, the municipal seat and the capital of Portugal's Autonomous Region of Madeira. The city has a population of 112,015 and has been the capital of Madeira for more than five centuries.-Etymology:...
and from 1865 to 1871, professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
at the Seminary of Pinhel
Pinhel
Pinhel is a municipality in Centro Region, Beira Interior Norte Subregion, Portugal with a total area of 484.5 km² and a total population of 10,436 inhabitants.The city of Pinhel has about 3.500 inhabitants....
(diocese suppressed on 30 September 1881 by being incorporated in Guarda). He did pastoral work in the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Espinheiro. He was vicar general of the diocese of Pinhel from 1874 until 1881 and of the diocese of Aveiro in 1881. He was also vicar general of Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
from 1881 until 1884.
Episcopate
He was appointed titular archbishop of Mitylene and Auxiliary bishopAuxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Lisbon on 24 March 1884 by Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
. He was consecrated on 27 April of that year. He was transferred to the see of Faro with title of Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
ad personam on 13 November 1884. He was promoted to the patriarch
Patriarch
Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
ate of Lisbon on 19 December 1907 by Pope Pius X
Pope Pius X
Pope Saint Pius X , born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, was the 257th Pope of the Catholic Church, serving from 1903 to 1914. He was the first pope since Pope Pius V to be canonized. Pius X rejected modernist interpretations of Catholic doctrine, promoting traditional devotional practices and orthodox...
.
Cardinalate
He was made Cardinal-Priest of Ss. Marcellino e Pietro, but only in pectoreIn pectore
In pectore is a term used in the Catholic Church to refer to appointments to the College of Cardinals by the Pope when the name of the newly appointed cardinal is not publicly revealed...
, on 27 November 1911. He was expelled from Lisbon for two years (1911-1913) for an infraction of the law of the separation of Church and State
Separation of church and state
The concept of the separation of church and state refers to the distance in the relationship between organized religion and the nation state....
during which time he resided in Gouveia. His elevation to the cardinalate was published on 25 May 1914. He received the red hat and the title on 8 September 1914. He participated in the conclave of 1914
Papal conclave, 1914
The Papal conclave of 1914 was held to choose a successor to Pope Pius X, who had died in the Vatican on 20 August 1914.-Political context:With Europe facing World War I, whoever was selected would face the difficulty of leading the Holy See through the war to end all wars, in which Catholic...
that elected Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV , born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, reigned as Pope from 3 September 1914 to 22 January 1922...
. He was a member of Portuguese Academy of Sciences in 1922. He participated in the conclave of 1922
Papal conclave, 1922
After a reign of just eight years, Pope Benedict XV died on 22 January 1922 of pneumonia. At his death there were 61 members of the College of Cardinals. However, later that same day, Enrique Almaraz y Santos, the Archbishop of Toledo, died, leaving a college of 60 cardinals to elect Pope...
that elected Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
. He was made the 568th Grand Cross
Grand Cross
The phrase Grand Cross is used to denote the highest grade in many orders of knighthood. Sometimes the holders of the highest grade are referred to "knights grand cross" or just "grand crosses"; in other cases the actual insignia itself is called "the grand cross".Alternatively, in some other...
of the Royal Order of Our Lady of Concepcion of Vila Viçosa
Vila Viçosa
Vila Viçosa is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 195.0 km² and a total population of 8,745 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 5 parishes, and is located in the District of Évora....
. He died in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
in 1929.