Spanish Cardinal - Pedro Crisólogo Segura y Sáenz

Below are pictures and some information about the great Spanish Cardinal: His Most Rev. Eminence Pedro Crisólogo Segura y Sáenz. Born on 4 December 1880; he died on 8 April 1957. He served as Archbishop of Toledo from 1927 to 1931, and Archbishop of Seville from 1937 until his death.

 

“A man of integral character, of a traditionalist (ultraconservative) position, and of a medieval intolerance.”
 

(He thought that Franco's government was too soft on non-Catholic sects and criticized the government for trying to declare all religions as equal).

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“A man of great rectitude, strong character, an intransigent Catholic, opposed to fascism and without diplomatic tact, it is said that ‘he only bowed down before the Pope.’”
 

“Hombre de gran rectitud, fuerte carácter, católico intransigente, opuesto al fascismo y sin tacto diplomático, se ha dicho de él que ‘solo inclinó su frente ante el Papa.’"

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He embarrassed Franco a couple of times. On one occasion, at a special dinner at which Franco, his wife, and Cardinal Segura were invited, Franco, as the head of State, occupied the first place. The second place, however, was given to Franco's wife, and not to Cardinal Segura. The Cardinal demanded that the second place be given to him, as is proper, because he is a Cardinal of the Roman Church, and he would only give up that second place to Franco's wife if she were a queen or the heir to the throne, which she was not. 

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“Undoubtedly, he was a man of virtue, very pious –organizer of missions—but very fanatic, hard-headed, and with positions that gave the Republic—and Rome—headaches.”
 

He gave Franco headaches by maintaining the rigid (iron-like) intolerance of a medieval Bishop in the ruling of his diocese (he did not allow Franco to enter churches --or go in procession-- under a canopy because he was not the king) by proscribing unnecessary pass-times, forbidding services in towns where inappropriate dances (too close to each other) were permitted, and by demanding a strict asceticism.

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Because Cardinal Segura wanted and believed in a theocracy (the Catholic Faith being the one the State accepts and confesses), he was usually referred to as “un Bonifacio VIII a la Española” (the Spanish Boniface VIII).  

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(Above and below) Procession of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
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Picture of Cardinal Segura being expelled from Spain by the government for his public and very outspoken criticisms of Franco's regime.

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Chicago Tribue reported on May 8, 1931 – “The Spanish republic tonight asked for the scalp of the primate of Spain, Pedro Cardinal Segura, archbishop of Toledo.” “… and he must be recalled ‘urgently,’ the minister of justice said.” All that simply because Cardinal Segura called for the election of deputies who will “defend and guarantee the rights of the Church.”

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Cardinal Segura in 1954.

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He was exiled a couple of times; He did not see eye to eye with the Republican government since he wanted a theocracy; he did not see eye to eye with Franco and his dictatorship - he opposed the privilege of the Canopy for Franco; he did not see eye to eye with all the Bishops/Cardinals in Spain because they did not always actively opposed errors and injustices; he did not see eye to eye with everyone in the Roman Curia. He did not like Protestantism either, and he was friends with Alfonso XIII.

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Notice the WHITE Vestments (even though black is the color for Requiem Masses and services) used for the funeral! It is (or was) an ancient custom to use white vestments for the funeral offices for the Archbishops of Sevilla. (One cannot argue with tradition!).

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Funeral procession

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He was very devoted to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.    

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What a Prelate!