Sebastião da Silveira Cintra
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Styles of Sebastião Cardinal da Silveira Cintra |
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| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
| See | São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro |
Sebastião Leme Cardinal da Silveira Cintra (January 20, 1882—October 17, 1942) was a Brazilian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro from 1930 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1930.
[edit] Biography
Born in Espírito Santo do Pinhal, Sebastião da Silveira Cintra studied at the seminary in São Paulo and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome before being ordained to the priesthood on October 28, 1904. He then did pastoral work in the Archdiocese of São Paulo, including serving as a seminary professor and the director of the archdiocesan newspaper A Gazeta do Povo. He was a cathedral canon from 1904 to 1910, and Pro-Vicar General of São Paulo from 1909 to 1911.
On March 24, 1911, Cintra was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro and Titular Bishop of Orthosias in Phoenicia by Pope Pius X. He received his episcopal consecration on the following June 24 from Joaquim Cardinal Arcoverde, with Archbishop Francisco do Rego Maia and Bishop Juan Terrero y Escalada serving as co-consecrators, in Rome. Cintra was later named Archbishop of Olinda on April 29, 1916; he also assumed leadership of the archdiocese of Recife when it was united with Olinda two years later in 1918. On March 15, 1921, he became Coadjutor Archbishop of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro and Titular Archbishop of Pharsalus.
Cintra eventually succeeded Cardinal Arcoverde as Archbishop of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro upon the latter's death on April 18, 1930. Pope Pius XII created him Cardinal Priest of Ss. Bonifacio ed Alessio in the consistory of July 3 of that same year. Again in 1930, he intervened in the revolution through which Getúlio Vargas assumed power[1]. The Cardinal was also credited during the revolution with saving the life of the incumbent president, Washington Luís. Before entering the President's office in Guanabara Palace, he said to the cabinet: "Time does not permit vacillation. The exaltation and animation of the people is great and I urge the President to retire to a fort or barracks. I have been insisting on this for nine hours and now it is almost too late"[2]. Cintra then successfully persuaded Luís to abdicate after an half-hour-long conversation[3].
Among the many events to which he served as papal legate was the dedication of Christ the Redeemer on September 14, 1931. Cintra was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the conclave of 1939, which selected Pope Pius XII. In 1941, he founded the Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro.
The Cardinal died from a heart attack[4] at age 60 in Rio de Janeiro, and is there buried at the Shrine of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus.
[edit] References
- ^ TIME Magazine. Milestones October 26, 1942
- ^ TIME Magazine. "Where is the President?" November 3, 1930
- ^ Ibid.
- ^ TIME Magazine. Milestones October 26, 1942
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Luís da Silva Brito |
Archbishop of Olinda 1916–1921 |
Succeeded by Miguel de Lima Valverde |
| Preceded by Joaquim Arcoverde de Albuquerque Cavalcanti |
Archbishop of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro 1930–1942 |
Succeeded by Jaime de Barros Câmara |
