Saint Francis Borgia, 4th Duke of Gandía

"Francisco de Borja" redirects here. For the Mexican historian Francisco de Borja del Paso y Troncoso, see Francisco del Paso y Troncoso.

Saint Francis Borgia
Saint Francis Borgia. He is depicted performing an exorcism in this painting by Francisco Goya.
Confessor
Born	28 October 1510(1510-10-28) Duchy of Gandía, Valencia, Kingdom of Spain
Died	30 September 1572(1572-09-30) (aged 61) Rome, Papal States
Honored in	Roman Catholic Church
Beatified	23 November 1624, Madrid, Kingdom of Spain by Pope Urban VIII
Canonized	20 June 1670, Rome by Pope Clement X
Major shrine	His relics were translated to the Jesuit church in Madrid, Spain in 1901
Feast	30 September 10 October (General Roman Calendar 1688-1969)
Attributes	Skull crowned with an emperor's diadem
Patronage	against earthquakes; Portugal; Rota, Marianas

Saint Francis Borgia, 4th duke of Gandía, 3rd Father General of the Jesuit Order, Grandee of Spain, (Catalan: Francesc de Borja, Spanish: Francisco de Borja) (Gandía, 28 October 1510 – 30 September 1572, Rome) was a Spanish Jesuit and third Superior General of the Society of Jesus. He was canonized on 20 June 1670.

Early life

He was born Francesco Borgia de Candia d'Aragon within the Duchy of Gandía, Valencia on 28 October 1510. His father was Juan Borgia, 3rd Duke of Gandía, making him the great grandson of Pope Alexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia). His mother was Juana, daughter of Alonso de Aragón, Archbishop of Zaragoza, who, in turn, was the illegitimate son of King Ferdinand II of Aragon.

Although as a child he was very pious and wished to become a monk, his family sent him instead to the court of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. He distinguished himself there, accompanying the Emperor on several campaigns.

Adult life and career

In September 1526 at age 16, he married a Portuguese noblewoman in Madrid, Eleanor de Castro Melo e Menezes. They had eight children: Carlos in 1530, Isabel in 1532, Juan in 1533, Álvaro circa 1535, Juana also circa 1535, Fernando in 1537, Dorotea in 1538, and Alfonso in 1539.

In 1539, he convoyed the corpse of Isabella of Portugal, Philip II of Spain's mother, to her burial place in Granada. It is said that, when he saw the effect of death on the beautiful empress, he decided to "never again serve a mortal master."

Nonetheless, while still a young man, year 1539, aged around 29, he was made viceroy of Catalonia to replace Fadrique de Portugal y Noroña the most powerful Portuguese who had been Viceroy of Catalonia 1525–1539, Bishop of Calahorra 1503–1508, Bishop of Segovia 1508–1511, Bishop of Sigüenza 1512–1532, and Archbishop of Zaragoza 1532-1539.

In 1543 upon the death of his father, the 3rd Duke of Gandía, Francis became the 4th Duke of Gandía. By then 33 years old he had retired to his native place and led, with his wife, Eleanor de Castro Melo e Menezes and their family, a life devoted entirely to Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church.

Jesuit priest

But in 1546 his wife Eleanor died and then Francis was determined to enter the newly formed Society of Jesus making previously adequate provisions for the future of their children.

He put his affairs in order circa 1550, renounced his titles in favour of his eldest son Carlos de Borja-Aragon y de Castro-Melo, and became a Jesuit priest. Because of his high birth, great abilities and Europe-wide fame, he was immediately offered a cardinal's hat. This, however, he refused, preferring the life of an itinerant preacher. In time, however, his friends persuaded him to accept the leadership role that nature and circumstances had destined him for: in 1554, he became the Jesuits' commissary-general in Spain; and, in 1565, the third Father General or Superior General of the Society of Jesus, because of the death in January 1565 of Diego Laynez, (Almazán, Spain, 1512 - January 1565).

Saint Francis Borgia contemplates worldly glory in this painting by Alonso Cano, 1624

His successes during the period 1565-1572 have caused historians to describe Francis as the greatest General after Saint Ignatius. He founded the Collegium Romanum, which was to become the Gregorian University, dispatched missionaries to distant corners of the globe, advised kings and popes, and closely supervised all the affairs of the rapidly expanding order. Yet, despite the great power of his office, Francis led a humble life, and was widely regarded in his own lifetime as a saint.

Veneration

Francis Borgia died on 30 September 1572, in Rome. He was beatified in Madrid on 23 November 1624, by Pope Gregory XV. He was canonized nearly 35 years later on 20 June 1670, by Pope Clement X. His liturgical feast was inserted into the Roman Catholic calendar of saints in 1688 for celebration on 10 October, the date then free from other celebrations that was closest to that of his death. Owing to the limited importance of his feast worldwide, his commemoration was removed in 1969 from the General Roman Calendar, but kept in the Roman Martyrology for celebration on his dies natalis (his birth into Heaven), 30 September. Some traditionalist Catholics continue to observe pre-1970 calendars.

Bibliography

• Candido de Dalmases, Francis Borgia. Grandee of Spain, Jesuit, Saint, Saint-Louis, 1991
• Candido de Dalmases, El Padre Francisco de Borja, Madrid, 1983.24 pages. Madrid: Editorial Católica, (1983). ISBN, 8422011166, ISBN 978 84 220 1116 3
• Margaret Yeo, The greatest of the Borgias, New York, 1936, 374 pages
• Enrique García Hernán, Sanctus Franciscus Borgia: Quartus Gandiae Dux et Societatis Iesu Praepositus Generalis Tertius, 1510-1572 , Volumen 156, Monumenta Borgia Series Volumes 156-157, Monumenta Historica Societatis Iesu (1903) (new edition by Edit. Generalitat Valeciana, 2003).

• Enrique García Hernán, Francisco de Borja, Grande de España, 1999 reprint by Institució Alfons el Magnànim, (Diputació de Valência), of the 1903 edition, 292 pages, ISBN 10 84 782 2275 8

• Francisco de Borja, Santo y Duque de Gandia (1510-2010) by several authors in several subjects, Bromera edit., 2010, ISBN 978 84 982 4634 6

• Angel Santos Hernandez, Jesuitas y Obispados: la Compañia de Jesús y las dignidades eclesiasticas,(1999), 539 pages,in Spanish, Universidad Pontificia de Comillas edit. ISBN 9788489708488, http://books.google.es/books?id=QRzrJ9EPmaIC. a Google book to be found under:

External links

• Patron Saints Index: Saint Francis Borgia
• Catholic Encyclopedia: St. Francis Borgia
• Tradition in Action - Saint of the Day: St. Francis Borgia
• "BORJA-BORGIA DIARY (JOURNAL)"

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by James Lainez	Superior General of the Society of Jesus 1565–1572	Succeeded by Everard Mercurian