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Fernando Arias de Ugarte
 | |
| 5th Archbishop of Lima | |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Gonzalo de Campo |
| Successor | Pedro de Villagómez |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 28 September 1614 by Bartolomé Lobo Guerrero |
| Bishop | Bishop of Quito |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 9, 1561 in Santa Fe de Bogotá,  New Kingdom of Granada |
| Died | January 27, 1638 in Lima, Viceroyalty of Peru |
| Alma mater | University of Salamanca University of Lleida |
| File:ArchbishopPallium PioM.svg | |
Fernando Arias de Ugarte, also known as Hernando de Arias y Ugarte (Bogotá, September 9, 1561 – Lima, January 27, 1638), was a Hispanic American magistrate and Catholic priest. He was Archbishop of Santa Fe de Bogotá (1618–1623), Archbishop of La Plata (Charcas) (1623–1628) and Archbishop of Lima (1630 to 1638).
Biography
His parents were Fernando Arias Torero, an encomendero of Santa Fe de Bogotá, and Juana de Ugarte. The conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada was his godfather at baptism. He studied Latin and Philosophy in his native city. He then studied at the University of Salamanca and at the University of Lleida, where he earned the degrees of licentiate and doctor in Civil and Canon Law. He traveled throughout the Iberian Peninsula and went as far as Italy. Back in Spain, he settled in Madrid. In 1591 he was appointed auditor of the army sent to Aragon. Once that army was disbanded, he returned to Madrid in 1594.
Already endowed with prestige as a public official, in 1595 he was appointed oidor of the Real Audiencia of Panama, but he was soon transferred with the same office to the Real Audiencia of Charcas, in 1597. He temporarily left that post when he was appointed by the Viceroy of Peru Luis de Velasco y Castilla as Corregidor of Potosí, Lieutenant of the Captain General and visitor of the Mint and royal treasuries of that province (1599). Having completed those duties, he rejoined the Audiencia.
In 1603, one of the oidores of the Real Audiencia of Lima, Alfonso Maldonado de Torres, left for Spain to take a seat on the Council of the Indies. The resulting vacancy was granted to Arias de Ugarte, who then moved to Lima. There he also joined the faculty of the University of San Marcos. By order of the Real Audiencia of Lima, which at that time governed the country, he became Governor of Huancavelica (1605), where he administered the revenues of that mining settlement thoroughly and strove to arrange a new agreement with the miners.
In 1607 he returned to Lima and resigned his post as Oidor to pursue the priestly career, which had been one of the aspirations of his youth. He was ordained a presbyter by the Bishop of Santiago de Chile, Fray Juan Pérez de Espinosa, by virtue of a royal license from Philip III, the first ever granted so that an Oidor in America could become an ecclesiastic. He said his first Mass in the church of the Novitiate of the Society of Jesus, and immediately afterward he continued in the government of Huancavelica.
He was preconized as Bishop of Panama in 1612, but before his confirmation took place, he was designated to occupy the bishopric of Quito (July 13, 1613), being consecrated in Lima by Archbishop Bartolomé Lobo Guerrero. He entered Quito on January 6, 1615. After visiting the convents and parishes of the city, he set out to tour all the doctrinas of his diocese. He was unable to complete this pastoral visit, because shortly afterward he was elevated to the Archdiocese of Santa Fe de Bogotá (June 15, 1616), whose government he took possession of on January 7, 1618, being splendidly received. At that ceremony he was accompanied by his brother, Captain Diego Arias, whom he found serving as accountant of the royal treasuries. He soon set out to carry out a general visitation. He penetrated very remote places, overcoming arduous journeys, passing through grave dangers on rugged roads, and facing privations of every kind. In 1625 he held the first Provincial Council of Santa Fe. He also devoted himself to advancing several works, such as the construction of a chapel he built for his burial, creating a chaplaincy for it. He founded the monastery of Santa Clara, which he endowed with an income of two thousand ducats, and while work on the building progressed, he named as its prelate one of his sisters, who had already been prelate of other convents.
Promoted to the Archbishopric of La Plata (Charcas) (June 27, 1625), he traveled the long road between Santa Fe de Bogotá and La Plata (present-day Sucre, in Bolivia). He was received on September 5, 1627, and after holding a Diocesan Synod in 1628, he began the visitation of his diocese, when news reached him of his appointment as Archbishop of Lima (February 18, 1628). However, since he had already convoked a Provincial Council, he held its meeting in 1629 and authorized its proceedings until they concluded. At this Council he managed to make reforms for the benefit of the Indians. Having put all the affairs of the Altiplano see in order, he prepared his journey to Lima.
He took possession of the see of Lima two years after being designated (January 14, 1630). He was then 69 years old and had traveled thousands of leagues during his life. On the day after his entry, the archdiocesan Cabildo honored him with a banquet at which 64 different dishes were served, since each of the 16 convents of Lima presented 4 dishes.
Archbishop Arias de Ugarte carried out a thorough visitation of his jurisdiction, which took him five years to complete. He held a diocesan synod that began on January 27, 1636; and the synodal constitutions were printed following those of Archbishop Bartolomé Lobo Guerrero in 1637. They contain thirteen titles with several chapters, and at their beginning the Christian doctrine is inserted in Quechua and in Spanish (1636), and he provided for the issuing of new rules that would ensure the order of religious life. He ordered the observance and fulfillment of the cédula of March 2, 1632, in which the King ordered that all parish priests teach the Spanish language to the Indians, considering this the most suitable means for their religious instruction.
He died in Lima at the age of 76. He was a very upright, charitable and humble man. He loved the Indians and saw to it that they were treated with humanity and gentleness. He said that they were his brothers and his compatriots; and many times in his homeland he signed himself: "Fernando, Indian, Bishop of Santa Fe".
See also
References
- Mendiburu, Manuel: Diccionario histórico-biográfico del Perú. Parte primera que corresponde a la época de la dominación española. Tomo I. Lima, 1874.
- Tauro del Pino, Alberto: Enciclopedia Ilustrada del Perú. Tercera Edición. Tomo 2. ANG/BED. Lima, PEISA, 2001. ISBN 9972-40-151-0
- Mantilla Ortiz, Luis Carlos. Profeta en su Tierra: Hernando Arias de Ugarte: V° Arzobispo de Santafé de Bogotá. Su correspondencia en el Archivo General de Indias de Sevilla. Academia Colombiana de Historia. Biblioteca de Historia Nacional Volumen CLXV. Joint edition with the University of San Buenaventura of Medellín, Bogotá Distrito Capital, 2008.
External links
- Personal profile at Catholic hierarchy.
