Félix Varela
Encyclopedia
Félix Varela y Morales was a notable figure in the Roman Catholic Church
in both Cuba and the United States.
, Cuba
and died in St. Augustine
, Florida
, United States
. Grandson of Spanish Lieutenant Bartolomé Morales
, he studied to become a Roman Catholic Priest
in San Carlos and San Ambrosio Seminary
in Havana
, the only seminary in Cuba. He also studied at the University of Havana
. At the age of 23 he was ordained in the Cathedral of Havana.
Joining the seminary faculty within a year of his ordination, he taught Philosophy
, Physics
, and Chemistry
. In his position there, he taught many illustrious Cubans, including José Antonio Saco, Domingo del Monte, Dr. José de la Luz y Caballero, and Felipe Poey
. Referring to Varela, Dr. De la Luz said; "As long as there is thought in Cuba, we will have to remember him, the one who taught us how to think." José Martí
's teacher Rafael María de Mendive was also Varela's disciple.
Varela joined in a petition to the Spanish
Crown
for the independence
of Latin America
, and also published an essay which argued for the abolition
of slavery
in Cuba. For such ideas, he was sentenced to death by the government. Before he could be arrested, however, he sought refuge in Gibraltar
and later emigrated to the United States
, where he spent the rest of his life.
Varela was the founder of the first Spanish-language newspaper in the U.S., publishing many articles about human rights
, as well as multiple essays on religious tolerance, cooperation between the English and Spanish-speaking communities, and the importance of education. He published other newspapers in Spanish, including "El Habanero" and "El Mensajero Semanal," and also published "The Protestant Abriger" and "Annotator" in New York
.
In 1837, he was named Vicar
General of the Diocese
of New York
, which then covered all of New York State and the northern half of New Jersey
. In this post, he played a major role in the way the American Church dealt with the tremendous influx of Irish refugees, that was just beginning at the time. His desire to assist those in need coupled with his gift for languages allowed him to master the Irish language
in order to communicate more efficiently with many of the recent Irish arrivals. He was later named a Doctor of Theology
by St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore
, Maryland
.
Nearly sixty years after his death in Florida, his body was dis-interred from Tolomato Cemetery
in St. Augustine, Florida
and returned to Cuba to be laid to rest in the University of Havana
's Aula Magna. This Servant of God has not yet been beatified. If canonized, he would be the first Cuban-born person to be honored on the altar
s of the Catholic
church.
The Cuban government has created an award bearing his name, entitled the "Orden Félix Varela", which is awarded to those whom the government deems to have contributed to Cuban and worldwide culture. (See List of people awarded the Varela award.)
His name is currently associated with a project proposed by the Christian Liberation Movement
in Cuba, named Proyecto Varela, which was announced to the Cuban people on government-owned TV and radio stations in Cuba by United States President Jimmy Carter
. In 1997 the United States Postal Service
honored Varela by issuing a 32-cent commemorative stamp. Because of his experiences, many in the Cuban American
exile community identify with him.
.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in both Cuba and the United States.
Life
Varela was born in HavanaHavana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and died in St. Augustine
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Grandson of Spanish Lieutenant Bartolomé Morales
Bartolomé Morales
Bartolome Morales was a lieutenant colonel of the Spanish infantry that reached the post of lieutenant governor in several cities of Cuba and influenced politically in Bayamo, Santiago del Prado Real de Minas de Cobre and Holguín...
, he studied to become a Roman Catholic Priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
in San Carlos and San Ambrosio Seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
in Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, the only seminary in Cuba. He also studied at the University of Havana
University of Havana
The University of Havana or UH is a university located in the Vedado district of Havana, Cuba. Founded in 1728, the University of Havana is the oldest university in Cuba, and one of the first to be founded in the Americas...
. At the age of 23 he was ordained in the Cathedral of Havana.
Joining the seminary faculty within a year of his ordination, he taught Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, and Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
. In his position there, he taught many illustrious Cubans, including José Antonio Saco, Domingo del Monte, Dr. José de la Luz y Caballero, and Felipe Poey
Felipe Poey
-Biography:Poey was born in Havana, the son of French and Spanish parents. He spent several years of his life in Pau then studied law in Madrid. He became a lawyer in Spain but was forced to leave due to his liberal ideas, returning to Cuba in 1823. He began to concentrate on the study of the...
. Referring to Varela, Dr. De la Luz said; "As long as there is thought in Cuba, we will have to remember him, the one who taught us how to think." José Martí
José Martí
José Julián Martí Pérez was a Cuban national hero and an important figure in Latin American literature. In his short life he was a poet, an essayist, a journalist, a revolutionary philosopher, a translator, a professor, a publisher, and a political theorist. He was also a part of the Cuban...
's teacher Rafael María de Mendive was also Varela's disciple.
Varela joined in a petition to the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Crown
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
for the independence
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
of Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, and also published an essay which argued for the abolition
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
of slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
in Cuba. For such ideas, he was sentenced to death by the government. Before he could be arrested, however, he sought refuge in Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
and later emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he spent the rest of his life.
Varela was the founder of the first Spanish-language newspaper in the U.S., publishing many articles about human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, as well as multiple essays on religious tolerance, cooperation between the English and Spanish-speaking communities, and the importance of education. He published other newspapers in Spanish, including "El Habanero" and "El Mensajero Semanal," and also published "The Protestant Abriger" and "Annotator" in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
In 1837, he was named Vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
General of the Diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, which then covered all of New York State and the northern half of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. In this post, he played a major role in the way the American Church dealt with the tremendous influx of Irish refugees, that was just beginning at the time. His desire to assist those in need coupled with his gift for languages allowed him to master the Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
in order to communicate more efficiently with many of the recent Irish arrivals. He was later named a Doctor of Theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
by St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
.
Nearly sixty years after his death in Florida, his body was dis-interred from Tolomato Cemetery
Tolomato Cemetery
Tolomato Cemetery is a Catholic cemetery located on Cordova Street in St. Augustine, Florida. The cemetery was the former site of "Tolomato", a village of Guale Indian converts to Christianity and the Franciscan monks who ministered to them. The site of the village and Franciscan mission was is...
in St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
and returned to Cuba to be laid to rest in the University of Havana
University of Havana
The University of Havana or UH is a university located in the Vedado district of Havana, Cuba. Founded in 1728, the University of Havana is the oldest university in Cuba, and one of the first to be founded in the Americas...
's Aula Magna. This Servant of God has not yet been beatified. If canonized, he would be the first Cuban-born person to be honored on the altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
s of the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
church.
The Cuban government has created an award bearing his name, entitled the "Orden Félix Varela", which is awarded to those whom the government deems to have contributed to Cuban and worldwide culture. (See List of people awarded the Varela award.)
His name is currently associated with a project proposed by the Christian Liberation Movement
Christian Liberation Movement
The Christian Liberation Movement is a Cuban dissident movement advocating political change in Cuba. The movement is led by Oswaldo Payá and was founded in 1988 by a group of secular Catholics belonging to the Parish of Cerro, in Havana...
in Cuba, named Proyecto Varela, which was announced to the Cuban people on government-owned TV and radio stations in Cuba by United States President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
. In 1997 the United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
honored Varela by issuing a 32-cent commemorative stamp. Because of his experiences, many in the Cuban American
Cuban American
A Cuban American is a United States citizen who traces his or her "national origin" to Cuba. Cuban Americans are also considered native born Americans with Cuban parents or Cuban-born persons who were raised and educated in US...
exile community identify with him.
Places named after Varela
- Felix Varela High SchoolFelix Varela High SchoolFelix Varela Senior High School is a secondary school located at 15255 SW 96th St in The Hammocks, unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA. Its principal is Connie Navarro.Varela was built as an overcrowding relief school for G...
opened on August 28, 1999 in Miami, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in dedication to the memory of Varela.
Cause for Canonization
Currently, Félix Varela being considered for Canonization as a Catholic Saint. He is currently a Servant of GodServant of God
Servant of God is a title given to individuals by various religions, but in general the phrase is used to describe a person believed to be pious in his or her faith tradition. In the Catholic Church, it designates someone who is being investigated by the Church for possibly being recognized as a...
.
External links
- The Felix Varela Foundation
- Pictures and other information on Félix Varela Includes pictures of the U.S. Postal Service commemorative stamp.
- Biography of Félix Varela in English and in Spanish
- "Faithful Want Priest to be Saint" (Miami Herald)
- Father Felix Varela
- PDF document from the Carter Center
- Biografía Dagoberto Valdez.
- Miscelánea filosófica escrita por el pbro. don Félix Varela y Morales, in the Digital Library of the Caribbean