Biography
Alonso Manso was born in Becerril de Campos, Spain Wikipedia:SPS, and studied theology at the University of Salamanca. He became the Canon (priest), canon of Salamanca and the chaplain of the prince Don Juan. On November 15, 1504, he was appointed bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Magua, Magua, Dominican Republic. On August 8, 1511, Pope Julius II created three dioceses in the New World, two in Hispaniola (Santo Domingo and Roman Catholic Diocese of Concepción de la Vega, Concepción de la Vega) and one in Puerto Rico (San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan), and Manso was appointed bishop of the diocese of Puerto Rico. On March 3, 1512, he was consecrated bishop by Diego de Deza, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sevilla, Archbishop of Sevilla. Before even arriving to Puerto Rico on September 26, 1512, he founded the first school of advanced studies. In 1513, he became the first bishop to arrive in the New World. In 1519, at the request of Bishop Manso the diocese of Puerto Rico was expanded to cover all the Leeward Islands. That same year he was appointed as the first Inquisitor General of the Indies and two years later he directed the construction of the Cathedral of San Juan. However, the cathedral would be completely destroyed by a hurricane in 1539, shortly after his death. Bishop Manso, as was customary at the time, became involved in politics. He became the eighth List of governors of Puerto Rico, governor of Puerto Rico in 1523.Sources vary on whether he became governor in 1522 or 1523. However, his stay in power was short lived as he was replaced a year later by Pedro Moreno (governor), Pedro Moreno, the man who, incidentally, he had replaced. Bishop Manso was the precursor of many acts in the New World. Aside from establishing the first advanced studies school he performed the first episcopal consecration in the New World when in 1529, at the Cathedral of San Juan, he consecrated Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal, elected bishop of Santo Domingo. He also founded two hospitals, Concepción (which was the first hospital built in Puerto Rico) and San Ildefonso hospital. Bishop Manso died in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1539 at the age of 79. He was succeeded as bishop of Puerto Rico by Rodrigo de Bastidas y Rodriguez de Romera in 1541.References
External links and additional sources
* (for Chronology of Bishops) Wikipedia:SPS, * (for Chronology of Bishops) Wikipedia:SPS, {{DEFAULTSORT:Manso, Alonso 1460 births 1539 deaths Royal Governors of Puerto Rico Spanish Roman Catholic bishops in North America 16th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Puerto Rico 16th-century Roman Catholic bishops in New Spain 15th-century Castilian Roman Catholic priests University of Salamanca alumni Colonial Puerto Rico History of Hispaniola Spanish West Indies 16th century in Puerto Rico Roman Catholic bishops of Puerto Rico