Sebastião da Silveira Cintra

infobox cardinalstyles
cardinal name=Sebastião Cardinal da Silveira Cintra
dipstyle=His Eminence
offstyle=Your Eminence
See=São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro |

Sebastião Leme Cardinal da Silveira Cintra (January 20, 1882—October 17, 1942) was a Brazilian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro from 1930 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1930.

Biography

Born in Espírito Santo do Pinhal, Sebastião da Silveira Cintra studied at the seminary in São Paulo and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome before being ordained to the priesthood on October 28, 1904. He then did pastoral work in the Archdiocese of São Paulo, including serving as a seminary professor and the director of the archdiocesan newspaper "A Gazeta do Povo". He was a cathedral canon from 1904 to 1910, and Pro-Vicar General of São Paulo from 1909 to 1911.

On March 24, 1911, Cintra was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro and Titular Bishop of Orthosias in Phoenicia by Pope Pius X. He received his episcopal consecration on the following June 24 from Joaquim Cardinal Arcoverde, with Archbishop Francisco do Rego Maia and Bishop Juan Terrero y Escalada serving as co-consecrators, in Rome. Cintra was later named Archbishop of Olinda on April 29, 1916; he also assumed leadership of the archdiocese of Recife when it was united with Olinda two years later in 1918. On March 15, 1921, he became Coadjutor Archbishop of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro and Titular Archbishop of "Pharsalus".

Cintra eventually succeeded Cardinal Arcoverde as Archbishop of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro upon the latter's death on April 18, 1930. Pope Pius XII created him Cardinal Priest of "Ss. Bonifacio ed Alessio" in the consistory of July 3 of that same year. Again in 1930, he intervened in the revolution through which Getúlio Vargas assumed power [TIME Magazine. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,850165,00.html Milestones] October 26, 1942] . The Cardinal was also credited during the revolution with saving the life of the incumbent president, Washington Luís. Before entering the President's office in Guanabara Palace, he said to the cabinet: "Time does not permit vacillation. The exaltation and animation of the people is great and I urge the President to retire to a fort or barracks. I have been insisting on this for nine hours and now it is almost too late" [TIME Magazine. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,882373-2,00.html "Where is the President?"] November 3, 1930] . Cintra then successfully persuaded Luís to abdicate after an half-hour-long conversation [Ibid.] .

Among the many events to which he served as papal legate was the dedication of Christ the Redeemer on September 14, 1931. Cintra was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the conclave of 1939, which selected Pope Pius XII. In 1941, he founded the Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro.

The Cardinal died from a heart attack [TIME Magazine. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,850165,00.html Milestones] October 26, 1942] at age 60 in Rio de Janeiro, and is there buried at the Shrine of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus.

References

External links

* [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bsilcin.html Catholic-Hierarchy]
* [http://www.fiu.edu/~mirandas/bios-c.htm#Cintra Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church]