Pedro Segura y Sáenz

infobox cardinalstyles
cardinal name=Pedro Cardinal Segura y Sáenz
dipstyle=His Eminence
offstyle=Your Eminence
relstyle= Cardinal
deathstyle=
See=Seville

Pedro Cardinal Segura y Sáenz (December 4, 1880—April 8, 1957) was a Spanish prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Toledo from 1927 to 1931, and Archbishop of Seville from 1937 until his death. Segura was elevated to the cardinalate in 1927.

Biography

Born in Carazo, Pedro Segura y Sáenz attended the seminary in Burgos and the Pontifical University of Comillas before being ordained to the priesthood on June 9, 1906. He then did pastoral work in Burgos, at whose seminary he also taught. In 1912, Segura was made a professor at the Pontifical University of Valladolid, of which he was also Prefect of Studies, and a cathedral canon. He also served in the archdiocesan curia, including holding the post of Director of Works.

On March 14, 1916, Segura was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Valladolid and Titular Bishop of "Apollonia". He received his episcopal consecration on the following June 13 from José Cardinal Cos Macho, with Bishops Vicente Sánchez de Castro and Julián de Diego y García Alcolea serving as co-consecrators. He became Bishop of Coria on July 10, 1920. After being promoted to Archbishop of Burgos on December 20, 1926, Segura was named Archbishop of Toledo by Pope Pius XI on December 19, 1927. In virtue of his position as Archbishop of Toledo, he was also Primate of Spain.

Segura was created Cardinal Priest of "S. Maria in Trastevere" by Pope Pius in the consistory of December 19 of that same year. As he could not attend the actual ceremony, he later received his red hat personally from Pius on October 28, 1929. In July 1931, the Primate was sent into exile in France by the Republican government [TIME Magazine. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,741910,00.html Republic's Week] June 29, 1931] , whom he had also publicly denounced while extolling the monarchy [TIME Magazine. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,741709,00.html Impetuous Primate] May 18, 1931] . He resigned as Toledo's archbishop on the following September 26 [TIME Magazine. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,742383,00.html Votes for Women] October 12, 1931] , and was made Archbishop of Seville on September 14, 1937. The Cardinal was one of the electors who participated in the 1939 papal conclave, which selected Pope Pius XII.

A staunch conservative, Segura was opposed to religious toleration, especially towards Protestants [TIME Magazine. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,816811,00.html One Century's Saint...] August 25, 1952] , and condemned the belief "that all religions are equally acceptable in the presence of God" [TIME Magazine. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,816129,00.html Toleration in Seville] March 17, 1952] . He also described the Inquisition as "meritorious", and prohibited Sevillian Catholics from attending movies and dances [TIME Magazine. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,866644,00.html Unemployed Archbishop] November 21, 1955] . The Holy See even applauded the Chapter of the Seville Cathedral's condemnation of leaflets attacking Segura's enemies, who were considered to include the Pope, the Spanish nuncio, and his Coadjutor Archbishop [TIME Magazine. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,937173,00.html Trouble for the Cardinal] March 28, 1955] .

Segura died from a kidney ailment in Madrid, at age 76 [TIME Magazine. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,862585,00.html Milestones] April 15, 1957] . He is buried in Cerro del Sagrado Corazón.

References

External links

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