Francisco de Vargas y Mexia
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Francisco de Vargas y Mexia (b.
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 ...
, date unknown; d. at the
Hieronymite The Hieronymites, also formally known as the Order of Saint Jerome ( la, Ordo Sancti Hieronymi; abbreviated OSH), is a Catholic cloistered religious order and a common name for several congregations of hermit monks living according to the Rule o ...
monastery of la Cisla in 1566) was a Spanish diplomat and ecclesiastical writer. He belonged to an old family of the lower nobility and studied law at the
University of Alcalá The University of Alcalá ( es, Universidad de Alcalá) is a public university located in Alcalá de Henares, a city 35 km (22 miles) northeast of Madrid in Spain and also the third-largest city of the region. It was founded in 1293 as a ...
, receiving the degree of licentiate in law. He became a government official, and by his energy and education, especially by his knowledge of law, rose to the position of fiscal of the
Council of Castile The Council of Castile ( es, Real y Supremo Consejo de Castilla), known earlier as the Royal Council ( es, Consejo Real), was a ruling body and key part of the domestic government of the Crown of Castile, second only to the monarch himself. It ...
(''Fiscal del Consejos de Castilla''), that is,
attorney-general In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
. In 1545, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, sent him to the
Council of Trent The Council of Trent ( la, Concilium Tridentinum), held between 1545 and 1563 in Trent (or Trento), now in northern Italy, was the 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation, it has been described a ...
. In January, 1548, he protested, as Charles's representative at the council, against its transfer to
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, and in 1551 he congratulated the council on its return to Trent. During the years 1552-59 he was the Spanish ambassador in
Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...
. Writing after King Philip II of Spain had decided to declare war against the
pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
, he wrote in a letter to the Princess Dowager of Portugal, Regent of Spain, dated 22 September 1556: In 1558, he negotiated at Rome with
Paul IV Pope Paul IV, born Gian Pietro Carafa, C.R. ( la, Paulus IV; it, Paolo IV; 28 June 1476 – 18 August 1559) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 23 May 1555 to his death in August 1559. While serving as pap ...
regarding the recognition of Ferdinand I as emperor, and in references to the founding of new
diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associa ...
s in the Netherlands. From 1559 he succeeded Gigueroa as the Spanish ambassador to the Roman Curia. As such he took an important part in the election of
Pius IV Pope Pius IV ( it, Pio IV; 31 March 1499 – 9 December 1565), born Giovanni Angelo Medici, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 December 1559 to his death in December 1565. Born in Milan, his family considered ...
. When Pius IV brought suit against the relatives of Paul IV, Vargas exerted himself to save the Caraffa. For some time he was not regarded favorably by the pope, who tried to have him recalled by Spain; however, Vargas again obtained the confidence of Pius IV, and was commissioned by the latter in 1563 to prepare an opinion on the question of the papal jurisdiction, as to which the Council of Trent had become involved in a dispute. The document Vargas prepared was published at Rome in the same year under the title of ''De episcoporum jurisdictione et de pontificis maximi auctoritate responsum''. In this Vargas speaks as a strict supporter of the
papacy The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
. Another theological question that he took up was that of granting the cup to the laity; to this he was decidedly opposed. His reports and letters contain important information on the doings of the Council of Trent; but he cannot be regarded as an entirely unprejudiced witness, because his interest was that of a diplomat in the service of his king. He was prominent in the affairs of the council for the last time when, in conjunction with the Spanish ambassador at Trent, he tried to postpone the close of the council. After his return to Spain he was made state councillor, but soon resigned all his offices and retired to the Hieronymite monastery of la Cisla near Toledo, in order to prepare himself for death. His contemporaries praised him as a highly educated man and a patron of learning.


References

* cites: ** Michel Le Vassor, ''Lettres et memoires de Francois de Vargas touchant le Concile de Trente'' (Amsterdam, 1700); {{DEFAULTSORT:Vargas 1566 deaths Spanish diplomats Participants in the Council of Trent Year of birth unknown