Fernando de Sousa da Silva ( 27 November 1712 - 11 April 1786) was the fourth

Patriarch of Lisbon The Patriarch of Lisbon ( la, Patriarcha Olisiponensis, pt, Patriarca de Lisboa), also called the Cardinal-Patriarch of Lisbon once he has been made cardinal, is the ordinary bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lisbon. He is one of the f ...

, being elected in December 1776, and consecrated on 30 May 1779. He was elevated to the cardinalate by

Pope Pius VI Pope Pius VI ( it, Pio VI; born Count Giovanni Angelo Braschi, 25 December 171729 August 1799) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1775 to his death in August 1799. Pius VI condemned the French Revoluti ...

in the secret consistory held on 1 January 1778.

Biography

He was born in

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

, the son of Aleixo de Sousa da Silva e Menezes, 2nd Count of Santiago de Beduído, and his wife D. Leonor Maria de Menezes, and brother of the 3rd and 4th Counts. He was a direct descendant of

Vasco da Gama Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira (; ; c. 1460s – 24 December 1524), was a Portuguese explorer and the first European to reach India by sea. His initial voyage to India by way of Cape of Good Hope (1497–1499) was the first to link E ...

Francisco de Portugal, 3rd Count of Vimioso Francisco de Portugal, also known as Francis II of Portugal, 3rd Count of Vimioso (c. 1550 – 1582), was the eldest son and heir of the 2nd Count of Vimioso, Afonso de Portugal (Alphonse of Portugal). He was one of the few high-ranking Portugues ...

, D. Afonso, Count of Ourém, and therefore also the first Duke of Braganza, D. Afonso. His studies took place at the

University of Coimbra The University of Coimbra (UC; pt, Universidade de Coimbra, ) is a Public university, public research university in Coimbra, Portugal. First established in Lisbon in 1290, it went through a number of relocations until moving permanently to Coi ...

, where he graduated with a degree in Canon law. Further receiving the insignia of clerical character on 13 April 1721, the Minor Orders on 17 September 1734 and the diaconia on 20 December 1738.

Ecclesiastical career

Ordained priest on 1 May 1739, he was appointed ''Primarius principalis'' of the Patriarchate of Lisbon on 31 July 1755. Thereafter appointed chaplain-vicar of Lisbon on 1 November 1776. He situated his residence in the Palace of Junqueira, in Lisbon. He was created cardinal in the consistory of 1 June 1778, the Pope sending the cardinal's cap with Mons. Francesco Serlupi, as he never ventured to

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

to receive his cap and respective title. He was named Patriarch of Lisbon by Queen Maria on 14 August 1778., and on 1 March 1779, he received his

pallium The pallium (derived from the Roman ''pallium'' or ''palla'', a woolen cloak; : ''pallia'') is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the pope, but for many centuries bestowed by the Holy See upon metropolit ...

. In a pastoral letter on 2 April, he confessed his reluctance to accept the appointment and the uneasiness that plagued him in his perception that it would be useless to refuse. His appointment was consecrated on 30 May 1779, in the chapel of the Palace of Junqueira. His solemn entry into the city was made the following June. He died on 11 April 1786, at 7 o'clock, of apoplexy in Lisbon and was buried alongside his predecessor, Cardinal

Francisco de Saldanha da Gama D. Francisco I de Saldanha da Gama (May 20, 1723 – November 1, 1776) was the third cardinal patriarch of Lisbon (from 1758). Life He studied canon law at Coimbra and was appointed a cardinal by Pope Benedict XIV in 1756, and named Patriar ...

, in the

Jerónimos Monastery The Jerónimos Monastery or Hieronymites Monastery ( pt, Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, ) is a former monastery of the Order of Saint Jerome near the Tagus river in the parish of Belém, in the Lisbon Municipality, Portugal. It became the necropolis o ...

in Lisbon.

References

External links

* . ''Florida International University''. * * . ''GCatholic.org''. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Silva, Fernando de Sousa e 1712 births 1786 deaths 18th-century Portuguese cardinals Patriarchs of Lisbon University of Coimbra alumni