Francesco Gonzaga (bishop of Mantua)

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Venerable

Francesco Gonzaga
Bishop of Mantua
Bishop of Pavia
(1593)

Francesco Gonzaga

Bishop of Cefalù (1587–1593).[1][2]

Early life

Annibale Gonzaga was born as the fifth son of Carlo Gonzaga, Marquis of Gazzuolo, Count of San Martino and his wife Emilia Cauzzi Gonzaga, natural daughter of Federico II Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua by his lover Isabella Boschetti. After the death of his father in 1555, Annibale grew up under the care of his grand-uncles Ferrante and Cardinal Ercole Gonzaga.[3]

At the age of eleven, the cardinal sent him to Flanders to the court of Philip II of Spain to be initiated into a military career. Following the king to Spain, he went first to Toledo, and then Madrid where Gonzaga instead matured his religious vocation.[3]

Friar

Despite the opposition of his family, he decided to enter the Order of Friars Minor, taking the name "Francis". He was professed in May 1563. Having completed his studies in Alcalá and been ordained a priest in Toledo in 1570, he was appointed preacher, reader, confessor. The Minister General of the order called him back to Italy where he devoted himself to teaching theology. With the help of his brothers, he built a convent on the family lands in San Martino dall'Argine. In 1577 he was appointed provincial minister of the Veneto.

In 1579, the general chapter of the Order held in Paris appointed him minister general: he wanted to resign, but the apostolic nuncio forced him to accept the office. He prescribed that the litany of the Virgin with the Oremus of the Immaculate Conception be sung every Saturday evening throughout the Order. He devoted himself to drafting new constitutions that would enable the friars to embrace the teachings of the Council of Trent. In eight years of governing he visited friaries in Italy, France, Spain, Flanders, and Germany. He sent missionaries to China, Philippines, and Brazil, dealt with very serious matters at the courts of France, Spain, Portugal. He built a convent in Bologna to house Polish religious who came to Italy to devote themselves to higher studies.

Bishop

On 26 October 1587,

Bishop of Cefalù.[1]
On 15 November 1587, he was consecrated bishop by Alessandro Andreasi,
Bishop of Catania
.

On 29 January 1593,

Bishop of Novara
.

However, his family wanted him bishop of their own city. On 30 April 1593, he was appointed

Bishop of Nice (1600). In 1594 he modified a wing of the episcopal palace to accommodate the seminary. He financed improvements in the church of San Francesco in Mantua and invited Camillus de Lellis to open a convent of his hospitaller friars in Mantua.[6] He paid the debts of prisoners, renovated the facade of the Cattedrale di San Pietro apostolo
, and built housing for poor families.

On 10 May 1596, he was named

Apostolic Nuncio to France and served in this position until 1599.[4]

He ceded the fief of Ostiano, of which he was marquis, to his nephew Scipione, eldest son of his brother Ferrante, prince of Bozzolo and his wife Isabella Gonzaga.

He served as Bishop of Mantua until his death on 2 March 1620 in Mantua.[2][5] Bishop Francesco Gonzaga was buried in the cathedral where his tomb was the destination of pilgrimages.

The decree introducing the cause was issued on 2 August 1627, granting him the title of

Venerable, and, on 13 July 1904, the cause for his beatification was opened.[7][3]
The Museo diocesano Francesco Gonzaga in Mantua displays sacred artworks, armor, coins, tapestries, pottery, ancient and contemporary paintings.

References

  1. ^ a b c Eubel, Konrad (1923). HIERARCHIA CATHOLICA MEDII ET RECENTIORIS AEVI Vol III (second ed.). Münster: Libreria Regensbergiana. pp. 163 and 269. (in Latin)
  2. ^ a b c d Gauchat, Patritius (Patrice) (1935). HIERARCHIA CATHOLICA MEDII ET RECENTIORIS AEVI Vol IV. Münster: Libraria Regensbergiana. pp. 230 and 273. (in Latin)
  3. ^ a b c Cairoli, Antonio. "Venerabile Francesco Gonzaga", Santi e Beati, June 26, 2002
  4. ^
    [self-published]
  5. ^
    [self-published]
  6. ^ Sicari, Antonio. Ritratti di Santi, Jaca
  7. ^ a b Index ac status causarum beatificationis servorum dei et canonizationis beatorum (in Latin). Typis polyglottis vaticanis. January 1953. p. 77.

External links and additional sources

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Bishop of Cefalù

1587–1593 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Alessandro Maria Sauli
Bishop of Pavia

1593 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Bishop of Mantua

1593–1620 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Gianfrancesco Morosini
Apostolic Nuncio to France

1596–1599 		Succeeded by
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