Félix Varela y Morales (November 20, 1788 – February 18, 1853) was a
Cuban Catholic priest and independence leader who is regarded as a notable figure in the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
in both his native
Cuba
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
and the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, where he also served.
Life
Varela was born in
Havana
Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.[New Spain
New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( ; Nahuatl: ''Yankwik Kaxtillan Birreiyotl''), originally the Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain. It was one of several ...](_bl ...<br></span></div>, Cuba, then still part of <div class=)
, and grew up in
St. Augustine, Florida, the grandson of Lieutenant colonel
Bartolomé Morales, the commander of military forces in
Spanish Florida
Spanish Florida () was the first major European land-claim and attempted settlement-area in northern America during the European Age of Discovery. ''La Florida'' formed part of the Captaincy General of Cuba in the Viceroyalty of New Spain, and th ...
, who was stationed there and who helped to raise Felix after the death of his mother in childbirth. As a teenager, he refused his grandfather's offer to send him to a military academy in Spain, returning to Cuba, where he studied to become a
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...
at
San Carlos and San Ambrosio Seminary in Havana, the only seminary in Cuba.
He also studied at the
University of Havana
The University of Havana (UH; ) is a public university located in the Vedado district of Havana, the capital of Cuba. Founded on 5 January 1728, the university is the oldest in Cuba, and one of the first to be founded in the Americas. Originall ...
. At the age of 23, he was
ordained
Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...
in the
Cathedral of Havana for the
Diocese of San Cristóbal de la Habana.
Joining the seminary faculty within a year of his ordination, he taught
philosophy
Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
,
physics
Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...
, and
chemistry
Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...
. In his position there, he taught many illustrious Cubans, including
José Antonio Saco,
Domingo del Monte,
José de la Luz y Caballero, and
Felipe Poey. Referring to Varela, De la Luz said: "As long as there is thought in Cuba, we will have to remember him, the one who taught us how to think."
José MartÃ's teacher, , was also Varela's student. During this period, Varela established a literary society and published ''Miscelánea filosófica'', a popular book on philosophy, before he was 30 years old.
[
In 1821 Varela was chosen to represent Cuba in the ]Cortes Generales
The (; ) are the Bicameralism, bicameral legislative chambers of Spain, consisting of the Congress of Deputies (the lower house) and the Senate of Spain, Senate (the upper house).
The Congress of Deputies meets in the Palacio de las Cortes, ...
of Spain in Madrid
Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
, where he joined in a petition to the Crown for the independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of ...
of Latin America, and also published an essay which argued for the abolition of slavery in Cuba. For such ideas, after the 1823 Spanish Bourbon Restoration overthrew the liberal government of Spain and restored Spanish Bourbon King Ferdinand VII who then brutally suppressed all opposition, he was sentenced to death by the government. Before he could be arrested, however, he fled, first to Gibraltar
Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...
, then to the United States, where he spent the rest of his life, settling in New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
.
In New York, Varela founded '' El Habanero'', the first Spanish-language
Spanish () or Castilian () is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family that evolved from the Vulgar Latin spoken on the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. Today, it is a world language, gl ...
newspaper in the United States, though it produced only seven issues. He published other newspapers in Spanish, including ''El Mensajero Semanal'', and also in English ''The Protestant's Abridger and Annotator''. He published many articles about human rights
Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...
, as well as multiple essays on religious tolerance
Religious tolerance or religious toleration may signify "no more than forbearance and the permission given by the adherents of a dominant religion for other religions to exist, even though the latter are looked on with disapproval as inferior, ...
, cooperation between the English and Spanish-speaking communities, and the importance of education.
After spending some months studying English, he served as an assistant at St. Peter's Church on Barclay Street from 1825 to 1827. In 1827, Varela purchased a former Episcopalian church building on Ann Street named Christ Church, and founded a new Catholic parish bearing the same name. By 1833, the building was beginning to become unsafe to use, and Varela therefore purchased land on James Street for the construction of a new church that would be dedicated to St. James. However, some members of the congregation complained that James Street was too far from their former church, and so in 1836 Varela also purchased a former Presbyterian church on Chambers Street, which he renamed the Church of the Transfiguration, and he served as the pastor of the church on Chambers Street for his remaining time in New York. In 1853, several years after Varela had left New York for Florida, the parish moved again to a former Protestant church building on Mott Street in the Five Points neighborhood of Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
. The area later became known as Chinatown and the parish continues to serve a largely immigrant community as of 2017. It houses a memorial to Varela.
In 1837, Varela was named Vicar General
A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop or archbishop of a diocese or an archdiocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vica ...
of the Diocese of New York, which then covered all of New York State
New York, also called New York State, is a state in the northeastern United States. Bordered by New England to the east, Canada to the north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, its territory extends into both the Atlantic Ocean and ...
and the northern half of New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
. In this post, he played a significant role in how the American Church dealt with the tremendous influx of Irish refugees, which was beginning at the time. His desire to assist those in need, coupled with his gift for languages, allowed him to master the Irish language
Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous ...
to communicate more efficiently with many recent Irish arrivals.
Varela served as a theological consultant to the committee of American bishops, which drew up the famous Baltimore Catechism, which began a standard teaching tool for Catholic children in the nation until the mid-20th century.[ He was later awarded a doctorate of Theology by St. Mary's Seminary in ]Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
, Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
.
In 1848, worn out by his labors, Varela developed severe asthma
Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wh ...
, which led him to retire to St. Augustine, dying there five years later. In 1902, Bishop William John Kenny of the Diocese of St. Augustine approved the relocation of Fr. Varela's remain
Varela's body was dis-interred from Tolomato Cemetery and returned to Cuba to be laid to rest in the University of Havana's Aula Magna.
Honors
The Cuban government has created an award bearing his name, entitled the Orden Félix Varela, which is given to those whom the government deems to have contributed to Cuban and worldwide culture. (Se
List of people awarded the Varela award
)
His name is currently associated with a project proposed by the Christian Liberation Movement in Cuba, named Proyecto Varela, which was announced to the Cuban people on government-owned TV and radio stations in Cuba by United States President Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
. In 1997 the United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...
honored Varela by issuing a 32-cent commemorative stamp. Many in the Cuban American exile community identify with him because of his experiences.
Places named after Varela
* Felix Varela High School, opened on August 28, 2000, in Miami
Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
, Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
, United States, is dedicated to the memory of Varela.
* "Varella Avenue" in St. Augustine, Florida, is a misspelled tribute to the priest who spent his early and last years there.
* "Padre Varela" street, more commonly known by its old name of BelascoaÃn, is a main north–south street in Centro Habana.
* BD−17 63, a star in Cetus
Cetus () is a constellation, sometimes called 'the whale' in English. The Cetus (mythology), Cetus was a sea monster in Greek mythology which both Perseus and Heracles needed to slay. Cetus is in the region of the sky that contains other water- ...
, was named after Varela in the 2019 NameExoWorlds contest.
Cause for canonization
Currently, Varela is being considered for canonization
Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christianity, Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon ca ...
as a Catholic saint and was declared a Servant of God
Servant of God () is a title used in the Catholic Church to indicate that an individual is on the first step toward possible canonization as a saint.
Terminology
The expression ''Servant of God'' appears nine times in the Bible, the first five in ...
, recognizing his life as a devoted Catholic and a model for others in and out of the faith, and officially beginning the process.
On Easter Sunday, April 8, 2012, both the Archdiocese of New York and the Archdiocese of Miami (each having significant Catholic Cuban-American populations) announced that the Vatican
Vatican may refer to:
Geography
* Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy
* Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City
* Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome
* Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...
's Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints had declared Varela "Venerable
''The Venerable'' often shortened to Venerable is a style, title, or epithet used in some Christianity, Christian churches. The title is often accorded to holy persons for their spiritual perfection and wisdom.
Catholic
In the Catholic Churc ...
," meaning he lived a virtuous life within the Catholic faith to a heroic degree and as such is worthy of praise (veneration).
For him to be beatified, the next stage of the process since he is not a martyr, a miracle (officially deemed to be so from a neutral theological and scientific point of view) must be proved attributable to his direct intercession. The canonization will then follow if another such miracle is declared to have occurred after the first. If canonized, he would be the first Cuban-born person to be honored on the altar
An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...
s of the Catholic church.
On October 30, 2015, Cardinal Jaime Ortega, Archbishop of Havana, appointed Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia as Postulator in the process for Varela's beatification
Beatification (from Latin , "blessed" and , "to make") is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their name. ''Beati'' is the p ...
and canonization
Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christianity, Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon ca ...
. Paglia is also President of the Holy See's Pontifical Council for the Family, and served as Postulator for the process of canonization of Óscar Romero
Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez (15 August 1917 – 24 March 1980) was a prelate of the Catholic Church in El Salvador. He served as Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Salvador, Archdiocese of San Salvador, the Titular ...
, the martyred Archbishop of San Salvador, who was canonized in 2018.
References
External links
// The Al Dia Foundation
Includes pictures of the U.S. Postal Service commemorative stamp.
* Biography of Félix Varel
in English
an
"Faithful Want Priest to be Saint"
''Miami Herald'', January 18, 1998.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Varela, Felix
1788 births
1853 deaths
19th-century American newspaper publishers (people)
19th-century Cuban Roman Catholic priests
American venerated Catholics
Cuban abolitionists
Cuban people of Galician descent
Cuban philosophers
Deaths from asthma
Clergy from Havana
People from New Spain
People of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
Spanish expatriates in the United States
University of Havana alumni
Venerated Catholics by Pope Benedict XVI