Cristóbal Bencomo y Rodríguez (

San Cristóbal de La Laguna San Cristóbal de La Laguna (commonly known as La Laguna, ) is a city and municipality in the northern part of the island of Tenerife in the Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, on the Canary Islands, Spain. The city is the third-most populous ci ...

Tenerife Tenerife (; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands. It is home to 43% of the total population of the archipelago. With a land area of and a population of 978,100 inhabitants as of Janu ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, 30 August 175815 April 1835,

Sevilla Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...

, Spain) was a Spanish

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

priest and confessor of King

Ferdinand VII of Spain , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father = Charles IV of Spain , mother = Maria Luisa of Parma , birth_date = 14 October 1784 , birth_place = El Escorial, Spain , death_date = , death_place = Madrid, Spain , burial_p ...

.Obispos canarios. Página web oficial de la Diócesis de Canarias
/ref> Bencomo was the driving force behind the creation of the

University of La Laguna The University of La Laguna (ULL; Spanish: ''Universidad de La Laguna'') is a public research university situated in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, on the island of Tenerife, Spain. It is the oldest university in the Canary Islands. The universi ...

(the first of the Canary Islands) and the Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, leading to the separation of the western Canary Islands in this new bishopric. Known for his many royal and ecclesiastical titles, he was one of the most important figures of the Spanish Catholic Church. Among his major positions were member of the council and chamber of Castile, Grand Inquisitor of Spain (a position he rejected), Grand Cross of the

Order of Carlos III The Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III, originally Royal and Much Distinguished Order of Charles III ( es, Real y Distinguida Orden Española de Carlos III, originally es, Real y Muy Distinguida Orden de Carlos III) was establ ...

, and

Titular Archbishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

of Heraclea ''in partibus'', given by Pope

Pius VII Pope Pius VII ( it, Pio VII; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. Chiaramonti was also a m ...

Biography

Early years

Cristóbal Bencomo was born in San Cristóbal de La Laguna on the island of Tenerife on 30 August 1758 to Francisco Braulio Bencomo and Bárbara Rodríguez Fleitas. He had two other brothers: Pedro José and Santiago Bencomo y Rodríguez. All three were prominent clerics who contributed substantially to the founding of the ''University of San Fernando'' (now the

), promoted the works of the Cathedral of La Laguna and participated in the creation of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna. The three brothers were descendants of ''Kebehi Benchomo'', last

Guanche Guanche may refer to: *Guanches, the indigenous people of the Canary Islands *Guanche language, an extinct Berber language, spoken by the Guanches until the 16th or 17th century *''Conus guanche ''Conus guanche'' is a species of sea snail, a ma ...

''mencey'' (aboriginal king) of Taoro. Of the three, Cristóbal Bencomo had the decisive role in the establishment of the college and the bishopric. It is believed that Cristóbal began his studies under the tutelage of the

Franciscan , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

friars of the ''Convent of San Miguel de las Victorias'' (now the Real Santuario del Cristo de La Laguna). Because he was not a member of the Spanish bourgeoisie, he decided to study for an ecclesiastical career, which, along with the military, was considered a promising career. Cristóbal excelled at his studies of philosophy and

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

, and gained an extensive knowledge of

Latin language Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of t ...

and

literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

. After completing his studies, in 1790] he was given the tonsure and title of preacher by the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Canarias, Fray Joaquín de Herrera de la Bárcena, as well as the appointment of master of pages and sacred ceremonies. After that he moved to

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the Largest cities of the Europ ...

, looking for better work opportunities. There, he devoted himself to the study of

Greek literature Greek literature () dates back from the ancient Greek literature, beginning in 800 BC, to the modern Greek literature of today. Ancient Greek literature was written in an Ancient Greek dialect, literature ranges from the oldest surviving writte ...

and

language Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of ...

Confessor of King

The King

Carlos IV of Spain , house = Bourbon-Anjou , father =Charles III of Spain , mother = Maria Amalia of Saxony , birth_date =11 November 1748 , birth_place =Palace of Portici, Portici, Naples , death_date = , death_place ...

appointed him in 1793 Master of Philosophy and Policy their pages knights, and later professor of

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

to the

Prince of Asturias Prince or Princess of Asturias ( es, link=no, Príncipe/Princesa de Asturias; ast, Príncipe d'Asturies) is the main substantive title used by the heir apparent or heir presumptive to the throne of Spain. According to the Spanish Constitution ...

, with the dignity of

Cantor A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. In formal Jewish worship, a cantor is a person who sings solo verses or passages to which the choir or congregation responds. In Judaism, a cantor sings and lead ...

(''chantre'') of

Plasencia Plasencia () is a walled market city in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura, Western Spain. , it has a population of 41,047. Situated on the bank of the Jerte River, Plasencia has a historic quarter that is a consequence of the city's stra ...

. Later in 1800, Bencomo was named confessor of Prince

, who had a certain complicity. When Carlos IV and his son Fernando VII left for Bayonne to meet

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

, Bencomo returned for a while to

until 1814. FernandoVII returned to

and demanded the presence in court of his confessor. The King ordered a warship sent to the island with the sole purpose of transporting him back to court with all possible pomp. In 1815 the King bestowed upon Cristóbal Bencomo and Rodriguez the honors of board member and chamber of Castilla and the Grand Cross of the Royal and Distinguished Order of Carlos III, whose insignia was presented to him by the king himself in 1817. In the same year, Bencomo was given the title of

of Heraclea, ''in partibus'' by Pope Pius VII, being sponsored in the consecration by the Infante Carlos, Count of Molina, who gave him a pontifical gift.

Creation of the University and the Diocese

Cristóbal Bencomo y Rodríguez was instrumental in creating the first university in the Canary Islands, the ''Literary University of San Fernando'' of

(

). This institution was created by royal charter in 1816. In addition, the impeller and went straight benefactor of the creation of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna. In 1818] in collaboration with the clergy and authorities in Tenerife calls for the creation of a new canary bishopric to the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...

. The document requested it had the full support of King Fernando VII. It was a document called ''Instruction of the House of Castilla''. On 1 February 1819, a papal bull approved the division of the bishopric of the Canary Islands in two dioceses.La Diócesis de San Cristóbal de La Laguna en los inicios del siglo XIX: el Obispo Folgueras Sión, el Cabildo Catedral y la jurisdicción eclesiástica
/ref> Finally, between February and December]1819 this diocese was created, since previously the Roman Catholic Diocese of Canarias was administering the entire archipelago. The Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna includes the islands of

La Palma La Palma (, ), also known as ''La isla bonita'' () and officially San Miguel de La Palma, is the most north-westerly island of the Canary Islands, Spain. La Palma has an area of making it the fifth largest of the eight main Canary Islands. The ...

La Gomera La Gomera () is one of Spain's Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. With an area of , it is the third smallest of the eight main islands of this archipelago. It belongs to the province of Santa Cruz de Tene ...

and

El Hierro El Hierro, nicknamed ''Isla del Meridiano'' (the "Meridian Island"), is the second-smallest and farthest-south and -west of the Canary Islands (an autonomous community of Spain), in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa, with a populatio ...

. The historical significance of the creation of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna and the pivotal role Bencomo played are illustrated by the fact that attempts to establish a diocese based in the island of Tenerife dated back to the early sixteenth century, immediately after the completion of the

conquest of the Canary Islands The conquest of the Canary Islands by the Crown of Castille took place between 1402 and 1496 and described as the first instance of European settler colonialism in Africa. It can be divided into two periods: the Conquista señorial, carried out ...

by the Crown of Castile. In fact, his first drive was

Alonso Fernández de Lugo Alonso Fernández de Lugo (; died 1525) was a Spanish military man, conquistador, city founder, and administrator. He conquered the islands of La Palma (1492–1493) and Tenerife (1494–1496) for the Castilian Crown; they were the last of the C ...

(conqueror of the islands of Tenerife and La Palma and "First

Adelantado ''Adelantado'' (, , ; meaning "advanced") was a title held by Spanish nobles in service of their respective kings during the Middle Ages. It was later used as a military title held by some Spanish ''conquistadores'' of the 15th, 16th and 17th cen ...

of the Canary Islands"). While the creation of the diocese would always be fiercely opposed by the then only bishop of the Canary Islands and members of the Cabildo Cathedral of Canary Islands, which were based on the island of

Gran Canaria Gran Canaria (, ; ), also Grand Canary Island, is the third-largest and second-most-populous island of the Canary Islands, an archipelago off the Atlantic coast of Northwest Africa which is part of Spain. the island had a population of that ...

. So since then and for three centuries requests of clergy and society of Tenerife to erect the coveted bishopric. With cunning of Cristóbal Bencomo and invaluable support of his benefactor would succeed, King Ferdinand VII, would be achieved relatively quickly and simple erection of the diocese and the consequent Bencomo historical relationship with this church project.

Last years and death

In 1818, Fernando VII appointed him Inquisitor General of Spain, although this institution was in decline since the reforms of the

Cortes of Cádiz The Cortes of Cádiz was a revival of the traditional ''cortes'' (Spanish parliament), which as an institution had not functioned for many years, but it met as a single body, rather than divided into estates as with previous ones. The General ...

. Bencomo rejected this appointment, because he understood that the Inquisition was an institution called the disappearance, it did not have the sympathy of the majority of secular and ecclesiastical estates. From this moment, his influence on the Spanish Court and the King began to decline. Bencomo, elderly and sick moved to

Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...

with permission of the King, where he enjoyed the dignity of ''Archdeacon of Carmona''. In Seville lent his assistance to the population in cases of great public calamities, and a cholera epidemic that hit the city in 1823. As proof of recognition of the Sevillian his portrait is exposed alongside other illustrious figures in the library colombina of the

Cathedral of Seville The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See ( es, Catedral de Santa María de la Sede), better known as Seville Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Seville, Andalusia, Spain. It was registered in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, along ...

, library located in the Patio de los Naranjos. Cristóbal Bencomo and his brothers contributed financially to the construction of the neoclassical facade of the Cathedral of San Cristóbal de La Laguna and Cristóbal's personal library donated to the bishopric, the same that he had helped create. In addition, Bencomo donated to the cathedral two relics: a piece of the mantle of St. Ferdinand III of Castile and a bone of

St. James the Less James, son of Alphaeus (Greek: Ἰάκωβος, ''Iakōbos''; Aramaic: ܝܥܩܘܒ ܒܪ ܚܠܦܝ; he, יעקב בן חלפי ''Ya'akov ben Halfai''; cop, ⲓⲁⲕⲱⲃⲟⲥ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲁⲗⲫⲉⲟⲥ; ) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jes ...

. He died in Seville on 15 April 1835.El Arzobispo Bencomo: insigne patricio tinerfeño
/ref> It was tentatively buried in the Cathedral of Seville, next to the Royal Chapel. There he remained until 1837 his remains were transferred to the Cathedral of La Laguna in his native Tenerife. LagunaCathedral144

Bencomo's brothers

Cristóbal Bencomo's two brothers were also two of the most influential clerics of the Canarian history. His brother Pedro José (1749-1828), who was a canon of the Cathedral of Santa Ana in

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Las Palmas (, ; ), officially Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, is a Spanish city and capital of Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands, on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital (jointly with Santa Cruz de Tenerife), the most populous city in the auto ...

, later became the first dean of Tenerife, following the creation of the diocese. In addition, Pedro José was royal commissioner together with Don Alonso de Nava y Grimón for the establishment of the University of San Fernando which was its first rector. His brother Santiago (1754-1818) was also dean of the Cathedral of Santa Ana de Las Palmas and canon of the same. He also had the titles of pensioned knight of the Royal and Distinguished

, elected bishop of Astorga and a doctorate in sacred theology. There is an anecdotal passage in his biography relates that being canon of the Cathedral of Santa Ana, it happened that in 1810 broke out in the islands an epidemic of yellow fever and all political, military and ecclesiastical authorities of Las Palmas fled the city and took refuge in the interior of the island of Gran Canaria. However Bencomo remained at his post providing aid to those affected.

Legacy

Cristóbal Bencomo and Rodríguez was the maker of the establishment of the first university in the Canary Islands, based in his hometown of

, a city that was therefore equated to big cities. The

Kingdom of Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

also had prestigious universities, such is the case of perhaps the most famous of Spain, the

University of Salamanca The University of Salamanca ( es, Universidad de Salamanca) is a Spanish higher education institution, located in the city of Salamanca, in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It was founded in 1218 by King Alfonso IX. It is t ...

. In his role as promoter of the creation of the diocese, he presumed to be the promoter of the ecclesiastical independence of the island of Tenerife and the western islands of the Canaries respect to one bishopric based in Las Palmas, which, in terms general has been considered beneficial by the islands of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna and especially by society and the clergy of the island of Tenerife. However, this fact has also been surrounded by controversy, since precisely the creation of the bishopric has been regarded as the initiator element called "''Pleito insular''", that is the confrontation involving over recent centuries by the bourgeoisie the islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria by economic, political and institutional hegemony within the Canary islands. While others believe that that lawsuit started long before, namely with the collaboration of Aboriginal of Gran Canaria leader

Fernando Guanarteme Fernando Guanarteme (born Tenesor Semidan) was a Guanche ally of the Spaniards who assisted them in their conquest of the Canary Islands during the late fifteenth century. He was originally from Gran Canaria. He traveled several times to the cour ...

in the conquest of Tenerife.

Works

In his literary facet, he is the author of several works:BENCOMO RODRÍGUEZ, Cristóbal (1758-1835).
/ref> * ''Instituciones Filosóficas para la enseñanza del Príncipe'' * ''Carta a una señorita que le participó su estado de matrimonio'' (1804) * ''Informe presentado a S.M. sobre el establecimiento de la Universidad en Canarias'' (1816) In addition, Cristóbal Bencomo translated the Greek of ''

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chri ...

'', ''Sueño de Luciano'' and ''Tabla de Cebes''. He also wrote several doctrinal letters.

References

External links

El Arzobispo Bencomo: insigne patricio tinerfeño

Patrimonio e Historia de la antigua Catedral de La Laguna

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodriguez, Cristobal Bencomo y 1758 births 1835 deaths Grand Inquisitors of Spain People from San Cristóbal de La Laguna Spanish Roman Catholic titular archbishops