Gaspar Jorge de Leão Pereira
Encyclopedia
Gaspar Jorge de Leão Pereira, or simply Gaspar de Leão Pereira or Gaspar de Leão (Lagos
? - Goa
, 15 August 1576) was the first Archbishop of Goa.
He was appointed Archbishop of Goa, Primate of the East in 1558 or 1559. He arrived in India
on 15 April 1560 to take possession of his charge. After seven years, in 1567, he renounced the position, and retired to the Franciscan
convent
, a few miles from Goa. He was succeeded by Jorge Temudo. On the latter's death in 1571, Gaspar returned to occupy the archdiocese, where he remained until his own death in 1576.
Jose Antonio Ismael Gracias points to several names of archbishops who marked the history of the printing press
, including Gaspar de Leão Pereira, who is cited by the author as the "male doctor and virtuoso, presiding over the destinies of the archdiocese, also chaired the movement of these presses." However, this same author notes the existence of prior censorship of books that were printed: "We have seen that most of the books that we have made mention, were printed prior to censorship and licenses, including those of Archbishop Gaspar! ... What do these criticisms show up and licenses for books written by people of recognized letters and piety? If anything proves the power of the terrible Inquisition
, the power that knew no bounds, and that extended up to shackle the mind and oppose the free expression of thought." (Gracias, p. 23).
He was also founder of the St. Paul's College
in Goa, where printers were free and uncensored, in order to follow the intellectual movement. He is buried in the Se Cathedral
, Goa, near the Altar of Saint José.
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
? - Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, 15 August 1576) was the first Archbishop of Goa.
He was appointed Archbishop of Goa, Primate of the East in 1558 or 1559. He arrived in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
on 15 April 1560 to take possession of his charge. After seven years, in 1567, he renounced the position, and retired to the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
, a few miles from Goa. He was succeeded by Jorge Temudo. On the latter's death in 1571, Gaspar returned to occupy the archdiocese, where he remained until his own death in 1576.
Jose Antonio Ismael Gracias points to several names of archbishops who marked the history of the printing press
Printing press
A printing press is a device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium , thereby transferring the ink...
, including Gaspar de Leão Pereira, who is cited by the author as the "male doctor and virtuoso, presiding over the destinies of the archdiocese, also chaired the movement of these presses." However, this same author notes the existence of prior censorship of books that were printed: "We have seen that most of the books that we have made mention, were printed prior to censorship and licenses, including those of Archbishop Gaspar! ... What do these criticisms show up and licenses for books written by people of recognized letters and piety? If anything proves the power of the terrible Inquisition
Portuguese Inquisition
The Portuguese Inquisition was formally established in Portugal in 1536 at the request of the King of Portugal, João III. Manuel I had asked for the installation of the Inquisition in 1515 to fulfill the commitment of marriage with Maria of Aragon, but it was only after his death that the Pope...
, the power that knew no bounds, and that extended up to shackle the mind and oppose the free expression of thought." (Gracias, p. 23).
He was also founder of the St. Paul's College
Saint Paul's College, Goa
St. Paul's College was a Jesuit college founded circa 1542 at Old Goa. It was once the main Jesuit institution in India. It housed the first printing press in India, having published the first books in 1556...
in Goa, where printers were free and uncensored, in order to follow the intellectual movement. He is buried in the Se Cathedral
Se Cathedral
The Se Cathedral in Old Goa, India, is the largest church in India, dedicated to Catherine of Alexandria. It is the cathedral of the Latin Rite Catholic Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, and the seat of the Patriarch of the East Indies...
, Goa, near the Altar of Saint José.
Works by Gaspar de Leão
- Compendio espiritual da vida cristã, etc., Published in Goa by João Quintino, 1561. Inocêncio Francisco da Silva said that it "seems to have been the first book that Sahira printed on presses of Goa."
- Tratado que fez Mestre Hieronimo de Sancta fé, Médico do Papa Benedito XIIIPope Benedict XIII-Footnotes:...
, contra os Judeos, etc., (tracts against the Jews, etc.) Goa, João d'Endem, 1565 - Desenganos de Perdidos (Disappointments of the Lost), Goa, João d'Endem, 1573. Interestingly, this latter work is mentioned among the books prohibited by the Index Expurgatorius from 1581: the Inquisition in Portugal thought that this book could not run.