Fidel Villarroel (18 March 1929 – 26 October 2016) was a Spanish historian, writer,

filipinologist In general, Filipinology or Philippineology ( es, Filipinología) ( tl, Pilipinolohiya) or more formally known as Philippine studies refers to:

, biographer, political commentator, ''Master Theologian of the Dominican Order'', and member of the ''

Order of Isabella the Catholic The Order of Isabella the Catholic ( es, Orden de Isabel la Católica) is a Spanish civil order and honor granted to persons and institutions in recognition of extraordinary services to the homeland or the promotion of international relations a ...

''.The Varsitarian Website
''UST Historian named Master of Theology'' May 1, 2012. A recipient of the ''

Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice ''Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice'' ("For Church and Pope" in Latin) is a decoration of the Holy See. It is currently conferred for distinguished service to the Catholic Church by lay people and clergy. History The medal was established by Leo XIII o ...

'', he is the former

Archivist An archivist is an information professional who assesses, collects, organizes, preserves, maintains control over, and provides access to Document, records and archives determined to have long-term value. The records maintained by an archivist c ...

, Spanish Department Director, Prefect of Libraries, and professor at the

Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas The University of Santo Tomas (also known as UST and officially as the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Manila) is a private, Catholic research university in Manila, Philippines. Founded on April 28, 1611, by Spanish friar Mig ...

. He had also served as secretary to the Apostolic Nunciature for 32 years(1959–1991), and is currently an academic director of the prestigious Academia Filipina de la Lengua Española (

Philippine Academy of the Spanish Language The Philippine Academy of the Spanish Language (, abbreviated AFLE; fil, Akademyang Pilipino ng Wikang Espanyol) is the language regulator for the Spanish language in the Philippines. It is one of two Spanish language regulators located in count ...

), the local branch of the renowned Real Academia Española based in Madrid, Spain, and part of the Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española (Association of Spanish Language Academies).Azheepineda
''UST Archives Director Fr. Fidel Villarroel, O.P.: Master Key to UST's Past'' May 1, 2012.National Commission for Culture and the Arts Website
. ''National Book Awards list of Winners'' May 1, 2012. He is also known as the most-prolific saint-maker in the Philippines for his ''Positio Super Introductione Causae'', or historical research, that he made for the beatification and canonization of

Lorenzo Ruiz Lorenzo Ruiz ( fil, Lorenzo Ruiz ng Maynila; zh, link=no, 李樂倫; es, link=no, Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila; November 28, 1594 – September 29, 1637), also called Saint Lorenzo of Manila, is a Filipino saint venerated in the Catholic Church. A ...

and fifteen other companion-martyrs.The Splendor of the Church
accessed June 7, 2012Philippine Daily Inquirer Website
''UST History Charts Evolution of Higher Learning in the Philippines'' May 1, 2012.

Early years

Villarroel was born and grew up in the town of

Tejerina Tejerina is a village situated in the north of Spain, which belongs to the León province and to the Prioro municipality, which also forms part of the Riaño shire.Leon Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again f ...

, Spain. In highschool, he was inspired to become a priest by his teachers at the Dominican schools of La Mejorada and Santa Maria de Nieva. He then took up Philosophy and Theology at the House of Studies in the Convent of Avila, where he started his Dominican vocation. After his ordination in 1952, he pursued postgraduate studies in History at the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

Career

After his receiving his master's degree, he went to the Philippines in 1957 devoting much time on the study of Philippine History. He held various administrative posts at the

Pontifical A pontifical ( la, pontificale) is a Christian liturgical book containing the liturgies that only a bishop may perform. Among the liturgies are those of the ordinal for the ordination and consecration of deacons, priests, and bishops to Holy O ...

and

Royal Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...

University of Santo Tomas The University of Santo Tomas (also known as UST and officially as the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Manila) is a private, Catholic research university in Manila, Philippines. Founded on April 28, 1611, by Spanish friar Miguel ...

, serving as Head of the Spanish Department for 25 years, head of the

University of Santo Tomas Archives The Archives of the University of Santo Tomas (AUST), also known in Spanish as the ''Archivo de la Universidad de Santo Tomas'', is located at the Miguel de Benavides Library in Manila. The AUST is the central repository of historical and rare do ...

for almost 50 years, Prefect of Libraries, and Professor of Church History in the Faculty of Sacred Theology. He earned his Doctorate in Sacred Theology from UST In addition, Villarroel has authored 23 books and 65 articles regarding Church history and Theology. He also authored the ''Positio Super Introductione Causae'' or cause of beatification leading to the canonization of San Lorenzo Ruiz and his companion martyrs. Moreover, Villarroel was involved in activities outside of the University such as serving as the secretary to the Apostolic Nunciature for 32 years (1959–1991). Villarroel is currently an academic director of the prestigious Academia Filipina de la Lengua Española (

), the local branch of the renowned Real Academia Española based in Madrid, Spain, and part of the Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española (Association of Spanish Language Academies).

Major Awards

In 1984, he was given the ''

'' by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

. The ''Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice'', also known as the ''Cross of Honour'', is the highest medal that can be awarded to the laity by the Papacy.Jubilee awards
''Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice'' May 2, 2012 He also received the ''Cruz de Isabel la Catolica'' in 1985 from the Spanish government for his works which exemplified the relations between Spain and the international community, and the Catholic Authors Award by the Asian Catholic Publishers Inc. in 1991. He was also a recipient of the National Book Awards in 1999. In 2009, Villarroel was installed as ''

Master of Sacred Theology The Master of Sacred Theology ( la, Sacrae Theologiae Magister; abbreviated STM) is a graduate-level, North American, academic degree in theology equivalent to ThM. The Roman Catholic equivalent is the Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL). An ho ...

'', an honorary title once held by

St. Dominic de Guzman Saint Dominic ( es, Santo Domingo; 8 August 1170 – 6 August 1221), also known as Dominic de Guzmán (), was a Castilian Catholic priest, mystic, the founder of the Dominican Order and is the patron saint of astronomers and natural scienti ...

, given by the Dominican Order to its most distinguished scholars. The S.T.M. has the perpetual right to the title ''very reverend''.New liturgical movement
''Dominican Sacrae Theologiae'' May 1, 2012.

Publications

Books

Some of Villarroel's books *''Apolinario Mabini, his birth date and student years'' (1964) *''Father Jose Burgos, University Student'' (1971) *''Cruzada española en Vietnam: Compaña de Cochinchina. Introducción y edición de Fidel Villarroel, O.P.'' (1972) *''Contribucíon de la Universidad de Santa Tomás al desarrollo de la literatura hispanofilipina: Discurso'' (1974) *''Fray Jerónimo Román: Historia del Siglo de Oro'' (1974) *''El Padre Antonio Gonzalez, Martir'' (1981) *''Christian Witnessing: Martyrdom and Martyrs'' (1981) *''Jose Rizal and the University of Santo Tomas'' (1984) *''Lorenzo De Manila: The Protomartyr of the Philippines and His Companions'' (1987) *''Un siglo de apostolado(1887–1987)'' (1993) *''Marcelo H. Del Pilar, His Religious Conversions'' (1997) *''Marcelo H. Del Pilar at the University of Santo Tomas'' (1997) *''The Dominicans and the Philippine Revolution, 1896–1903'' (1999) *''Miguel De Benavides, O.P., 1550–1605: Friar, Bishop, and University Founder'' (2005) *''Philip II and the "Philippine Referendum" of 1599'' (2009) *''A History of Santo Tomas: Four Centuries of Higher Education in the Philippines (1611–2011) Volume I'' (2012) *''A History of Santo Tomas: Four Centuries of Higher Education in the Philippines (1611–2011) Volume II'' (2012)

Honors

*Outstanding Thomasian Awardee for Historical Research (1982) *

from

(1984) * Cruz de Isabel la Catolica from the King of Spain,

Juan Carlos I Juan Carlos I (;, * ca, Joan Carles I, * gl, Xoán Carlos I, Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 Novem ...

(1985) *Catholic Authors Award by the Asian Catholic Publishers Inc. (1991) *National Book Awards (1999) *

of the

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of Cal ...

(2009), a title once held by

*Gintong Aklat Award (2014)

References

External links

UST historian named Master of Theology

2-volume UST history charts evolution of higher education in the Philippines

* ttp://azheepineda.blogspot.com/2010/01/ust-archives-director-fr-fidel.html UST Archives director Fr. Fidel Villarroel, O.P.
Book finder

The Truth About Rizal’s ‘Poor’ Grades in UST

Popular Gintong Aklat Awards Books

List Of National Book Award Winners

National Commission for Culture and the Arts Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Villarroel, Fidel 21st-century Spanish historians 1929 births Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic Recipients of the Order of Isabella the Catholic Spanish male writers 20th-century Spanish historians Spanish biographers Male biographers Spanish political writers 2016 deaths Spanish Dominicans University of Santo Tomas faculty University of Santo Tomas alumni Alumni of the University of London