Everything about Francis Borgia totally explained
St. Francis Borgia (Spanish:
San Francisco de Borja,
October 28 1510,
Gandia (
Spain) -
September 30 1572, Rome) was a
Spanish Jesuit and third
Superior General of the Society of Jesus. Canonised in 1671.
Biography
He was born near
Gandía,
Valencia on
October 28,
1510. He was the son of Juan de
Borgia, the 3rd Duke of
Gandía and Joana of
Aragon, daughter of Afonso de Aragon, Archbishop of
Zaragoza, who, in turn, was the illegitimate son of
Ferdinand the Catholic (Ferdinand II of Aragon) and his mistress Aldonza Ruiz de Iborra y Alemany. Francis was also the paternal great-grandson of
Pope Alexander VI.
Although as a child he was very pious and wished to become a monk, his family sent him instead to the court of the
Emperor Charles V. He distinguished himself there, accompanying the Emperor on several campaigns and marrying, in
Madrid in September
1526, a Portuguese noblewoman, Eleanor de Castro Melo e Menezes, by whom he'd 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 Empress
Isabella of Portugal 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." However, while still a young man, he was made viceroy of
Catalonia, and administered the province with great efficiency. His true interests, however, lay elsewhere. When his father died, the new Duke of Gandía retired to his native place and led, with his wife and family, a life devoted entirely to religion.
In
1546 his wife Eleanor died and Francis was determined to enter the newly formed
Society of Jesus. He put his affairs in order, renounced his titles in favour of his eldest son, Carlos, 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,
Father General of the entire
order.
His successes have caused historians to describe Francis as the greatest General after
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.
Francis Borgia died on
30 September 1572 in Rome and was
canonized in 1671 by
Pope Clement X. His liturgical commemoration was inserted in 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. Because of his limited importance on a worldwide scale, this commemoration was removed in 1969, and his feast day was moved to his
dies natalis (his birth to heaven),
30 September.
Further Information
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