José Telésforo Paúl y Vargas, SJ (5 January 1831 – 8 April 1889) was a Colombian

Catholic 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 ...

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

and

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

who worked in

Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

and Colombia. Born in

Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish Imperial period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city, capital and largest city ...

, he served as bishop of

Panamá Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

from 1876 to 1884 and as archbishop of Santafé en Nueva Granada (now the

Archdiocese of Bogotá 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 associated ...

, Colombia) from 1884 until his death in 1889.

Biography

Early life and education

José Telésforo Paúl y Vargas was born on 5 January 1831 in

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

. The son of Rafael Paúl y Motta, a Venezuelan lawyer, and Florentina Vargas Gaitán, he had two siblings, Felpie Fermín and Rafaela. After studying at the Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Paúl entered the

Society of Jesus The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rome. It was founded in 1540 ...

at age 13 at their house in

Popayán Popayán () is the capital of the Colombian department of Cauca. It is located in the Pubenza Valley in southwestern Colombia between the Western Mountain Range and Central Mountain Range. The municipality has a population of 318,059, an a ...

. In 1850, already a teacher at the

Colegio Mayor de San Bartolomé is a Private school, private Catholic school, Catholic pre-school, primary, secondary school, and college-preparatory school, colonial of Plateresque style building, located in the Bogota, Santa Fe district of Bogotá, Cundinamarca Department, Cu ...

in Bogotá, he went into exile with other Jesuits due to the Society's persecution by General Hilario Lopez. After leaving Bogotá, he traveled to Europe, where he continued his studies in

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, and Loyola,

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. Through his education, he became a notable

Christian humanist Christian humanism refers to two intellectual movements: the anti-paganizing wing of sixteenth century Renaissance humanism (the scholarly movement and worldview that recovered the classical humanities and ideals of citizenship and human dignity; ...

and

polyglot Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. When the languages are just two, it is usually called bilingualism. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolin ...

, speaking and writing in four or five languages fluently.

Priesthood

Paúl was ordained a priest on 5 December 1855, and was assigned to the Seminario de Guatemala in

Guatemala City Guatemala City (, also known colloquially by the nickname Guate), is the Capital city, national capital and largest city of the Guatemala, Republic of Guatemala. It is also the Municipalities of Guatemala, municipal capital of the Guatemala Depa ...

, where he taught

rhetoric Rhetoric is the art of persuasion. It is one of the three ancient arts of discourse ( trivium) along with grammar and logic/ dialectic. As an academic discipline within the humanities, rhetoric aims to study the techniques that speakers or w ...

and the

humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture, including Philosophy, certain fundamental questions asked by humans. During the Renaissance, the term "humanities" referred to the study of classical literature a ...

. When the anti-Jesuit persecution ended in Colombia in 1858, his superiors sent him back to Bogotá, where he rose to prominence as a teacher,

orator An orator, or oratist, is a public speaker, especially one who is eloquent or skilled. Etymology Recorded in English c. 1374, with a meaning of "one who pleads or argues for a cause", from Anglo-French ''oratour'', Old French ''orateur'' (14 ...

, and counselor. In 1861, he was exiled from Colombia for the second time, this time by President

Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera Tomás Cipriano Ignacio Maria de Mosquera y Figueroa Arboleda Salazar, Prieto de Tovar, Vergara, Silva, Hurtado de Mendoza, Urrutia y Guzmán (September 26, 1798 – October 7, 1878) was a Colombian general, political figure, and slaveholder ...

. He returned to Guatemala, where he was a professor of theology at the seminary and was also mastor of novices for the Guatemalan Jesuits. In 1869, he was sent with the Rev. Roberto Pozo to found a new Jesuit residence in

San Salvador San Salvador () is the Capital city, capital and the largest city of El Salvador and its San Salvador Department, eponymous department. It is the country's largest agglomeration, serving as the country's political, cultural, educational and fin ...

, but were expelled in 1872 by Salvadoran President Santiago González, along with other religious orders. Paúl and the other Jesuits moved to

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

, before being invited to

Panama State The Panama State, officially known as the Federal State of PanamaBiblioteca Nacional de PanamáConstitución política del Estado de Panamá de 1855Constitución política del Estado soberano de Panamá de 1863/ref> from 1855 to 1863, and as the ...

(at that time an autonomous province of Colombia) by President Buenaventura Correoso. He taught there at the diocesan seminary and later was superior of the Jesuits in Panama, with his seat at the Church of St. Francis in

Panama City Panama City, also known as Panama, is the capital and largest city of Panama. It has a total population of 1,086,990, with over 2,100,000 in its metropolitan area. The city is located at the Pacific Ocean, Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, i ...

Bishop of Panama

On 17 September 1875, Paúl was appointed Bishop of Panamá by

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX (; born Giovanni Maria Battista Pietro Pellegrino Isidoro Mastai-Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878. His reign of nearly 32 years is the longest verified of any pope in hist ...

. He succeeded Ignacio Antonio Parra, who consecrated him bishop on 25 March 1876, making Paúl the first bishop consecrated in

. As bishop of Panamá, Paúl reorganized and established parishes, made frequent pastoral visits to different communities, and made efforts to improve the discipline and education of the clergy. He also took special interest in the construction of the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal () is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, and is a Channel (geography), conduit for maritime trade between th ...

, construction of which began in 1881 by

. Paúl became friends with

Ferdinand de Lesseps Ferdinand Marie, Comte de Lesseps (; 19 November 1805 – 7 December 1894) was a French Orientalist diplomat and owner of Main Idea of the Suez Canal, which in 1869 joined the Mediterranean and Red Seas, substantially reducing sailing distan ...

, the French diplomat in charge of the project, and blessed the work at the start of construction. He eventually became a trusted advisor and counselor of Lesseps, who described Paúl as "the most illustrious prelate I have ever met." In addition, he paid special attention to providing religious care to residents of the

Panama Canal Zone The Panama Canal Zone (), also known as just the Canal Zone, was a International zone#Concessions, concession of the United States located in the Isthmus of Panama that existed from 1903 to 1979. It consisted of the Panama Canal and an area gene ...

, dividing it into three different districts and ensuring the regular visit of Panamanian priests. Paúl made pastoral visits through the diocese several times, and worked to establish schools and hospitals, and invited the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul to staff many of them. He wrote

pastoral letter A pastoral letter, often simply called a pastoral, is an open letter addressed by a bishop to the clergy or laity of a diocese or to both, containing general admonition, instruction or consolation, or directions for behaviour in particular circu ...

s, which encouraged

evangelism Evangelism, or witnessing, is the act of sharing the Christian gospel, the message and teachings of Jesus Christ. It is typically done with the intention of converting others to Christianity. Evangelism can take several forms, such as persona ...

and Catholic education, condemned the conflict of

liberalism Liberalism is a Political philosophy, political and moral philosophy based on the Individual rights, rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality, the right to private property, and equality before the law. ...

with Catholicism, and addressed the relationship between church and state. In 1877, Paúl personally had traveled to the

Congress of Colombia The Congress of the Republic of Colombia () is the name given to Colombia's bicameral national legislature. The Congress of Colombia consists of the 108-seat Senate, and the 188-seat Chamber of Representatives, Members of both houses are e ...

to demand respectful treatment of the church by the government.

Archbishop of Bogotá

Following the death of Archbishop

Vicente Arbeláez Gómez Vicente is a Spanish and Portuguese name. Like its French variant, Vincent, it is derived from the Latin name ''Vincentius'' meaning "conquering" (from Latin ''vincere'', "to conquer"). Vicente may refer to: Places *São Vicente, Cape Verde, an i ...

, Paúl was appointed archbishop of Santafé en Nueva Granada (now Bogotá) on 6 August 1884 by

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII (; born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2March 181020July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 until his death in July 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of any pope, behind those of Peter the Ap ...

. There, he participated in the drafting of the new

Colombian Constitution of 1886 The Colombian Constitution of 1886 was the constitution that remade the United States of Colombia into the Republic of Colombia, and replaced the federal republic with a unitary state. Following the Colombian Civil War (1884–1885), a coalitio ...

. He died on 8 April 1889 in Bogotá, aged 58.

Episcopal lineage

* Cardinal

Scipione Rebiba Scipione Rebiba (3 February 1504 – 23 July 1577) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church, a protégé of Gian Pietro Carafa, who became Pope Paul IV. He held a variety of positions in the Church hierarchy, including some of the most sen ...

* Cardinal

Giulio Antonio Santorio Giulio Antonio Santorio (6 June 1532 – 9 May 1602) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Biography Santorio was born in Caserta. He served as Archbishop of Santa Severina from 1566 until his death.

(1566) * Cardinal

Girolamo Bernerio Girolamo Cardinal Bernerio, O.P. (1540 – 5 August 1611) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Biography Bernerio was born in Corregio. He served as Bishop of Ascoli Piceno from 1586 until his resignation in 1605. He was ...

, OP (1586) * Archbishop

Galeazzo Sanvitale Galeazzo Sanvitale (died 8 September 1622) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Bari-Canosa (1604–1606). ''(in Latin)''Ludovico Ludovisi Ludovico Ludovisi (22 or 27 October 1595 – 18 November 1632) was an Italian Cardinal (Catholic Church), cardinal and statesman of the Roman Catholic Church. He was an art connoisseur who formed a famous collection of antiquities, housed at the ...

(1621) * Cardinal

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(1622) * Cardinal

Ulderico Carpegna Ulderico Carpegna (24 June 1595 – 24 January 1679) was an Italian jurist and Cardinal. Early life Born at Scavolino, he was from a family of the Roman nobility, connected with the Montefeltro family. He was the son of Tommaso di Carpegna, Co ...

(1630) * Cardinal

Paluzzo Paluzzi Altieri degli Albertoni Paluzzo Paluzzi Altieri degli Albertoni (8 June 1623 – 29 June 1698) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal and Cardinal-Nephew to Pope Clement X. Biography Altieri was born Paluzzo Paluzzi degli Albertoni in Rome, the eldest of two sons to Antoni ...

(1666) *

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(1675) *

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(1724) * Archbishop

Enrico Enríquez Enrique Enríquez (30 September 1701 – 25 April 1756) was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal. Born in Campi Salentina, in the Kingdom of Naples, he studied canon and civil law at the La Sapienza University, Rome, was later made governor ...

(1743) * Bishop

Manuel Quintano Bonifaz Manuel Quintano Bonifaz (c. 1699 – 18 December 1774) was a Spanish cleric who was Grand Inquisitor of Spain from 1755 to 1774. Biography Manuel Quintano Bonifaz was born in Salas de los Infantes in around 1699. He was appointed Auxiliary Bish ...

(1749) * Cardinal

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(1765) * Bishop Atanasio Puyal y Poveda (1790) * Bishop

Andrés Esteban y Gómez Andres or Andrés may refer to: *Andres, Illinois, an unincorporated community in Will County, Illinois, US *Andres, Pas-de-Calais, a commune in Pas-de-Calais, France *Andres (name) *Hurricane Andres * "Andres" (song), a 1994 song by L7 See also ...

(1815) * Bishop Salvador Jiménez y Padilla (1816) * Bishop Jose Antonio Chaves, OFM (1834) * Bishop

Bernabé Rojas Bernabé may refer to: People As a given name * Bernabé Ballester (born 1982), Spanish footballer * Bernabé Barragán (born 1993), Spanish footballer * Bernabé Cobo, (1582–1657), Spanish Jesuit missionary and writer * Bernabé Ferreyra (1909 ...

, OP (1855) * Bishop

Domingo Antonio Riaño Martínez Domingo may refer to: People *Domingo (name), a Spanish name and list of people with that name *Domingo (producer) (born 1970), American hip-hop producer *Saint Dominic (1170–1221), Castilian Catholic priest, founder of the Friars popularly cal ...

(1855) * Archbishop

Antonio Herrán y Zaldúa Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language–speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popular m ...

(1855) * Archbishop

(1860) * Bishop Ignacio Antonio Parra (1871) * Archbishop José Telésforo Paúl y Vargas, SJ (1876)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paúl, José Telésforo 1831 births 1889 deaths Colombian people of Venezuelan descent Colombian people of Spanish descent Del Rosario University alumni Colombian Jesuits 19th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Panama Roman Catholic archbishops of Bogotá Christian humanists Colombian Roman Catholic theologians Colombian educators Colombian academics Rhetoricians Guatemalan educators Guatemalan academics Jesuit archbishops Roman Catholic bishops of Panamá 19th-century Colombian Roman Catholic priests