Sebastião da Silveira Cintra
Encyclopedia
Sebastião Leme da Silveira Cintra (January 20, 1882—October 17, 1942) was a Brazil
ian Cardinal
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.
, 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 Arcoverde de Albuquerque Cavalcanti
, 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 XI
created him Cardinal Priest
of Santi Alessio e Bonifacio in the consistory
of July 3 of that same year.
Also in 1930, he intervened in the revolution
through which Getúlio Vargas
assumed power: The Cardinal was credited with saving the life of the incumbent president
, Washington Luís Pereira de Sousa
. The revolutionary forces surrounded Guanabara Palace and were set to invade it, but the Cardinal succeeded in gaining admission to the Palace to negotiate the withdrawal of the deposed President, thus avoiding bloodshed. 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". Cintra then successfully persuaded Luís to resign
after a half-hour-long conversation.
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 elected Pope Pius XII
. In 1941, he founded the Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro
, that later was granted the title of "Pontifical Catholic University".
In 1942, the Cardinal died from a heart attack
at age 60 in Rio de Janeiro
, and is there buried at the Shrine of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
of the Roman Catholic Church
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...
. He served as Archbishop of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro from 1930 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
in 1930.
Biography
Born in Espírito Santo do PinhalEspírito Santo do Pinhal
Espírito Santo do Pinhal is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population in 2010 is 41,907 and the area is 389 km². The elevation is 870 m....
, Sebastião da Silveira Cintra studied at the 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 São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
and the Pontifical Gregorian University
Pontifical Gregorian University
The Pontifical Gregorian University is a pontifical university located in Rome, Italy.Heir of the Roman College founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola over 460 years ago, the Gregorian University was the first university founded by the Jesuits...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
before being ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
on October 28, 1904. He then did pastoral
Parish (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province to diocese to deanery to parish.-Requirements:A parish needs two things under common law to become a parish...
work in the Archdiocese of São Paulo
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of São Paulo
The Archdiocese of São Paulo is a major see in the Roman Catholic Church in Brazil. The Diocese of São Paulo was erected by Pope Benedict XIV on 6 December 1745. It became an Archdiocese on 7 June 1908...
, including serving as a seminary professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
and the director of the archdiocesan newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
A Gazeta do Povo. He was a cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
from 1904 to 1910, and Pro
Promagistrate
A promagistrate is a person who acts in and with the authority and capacity of a magistrate, but without holding a magisterial office. A legal innovation of the Roman Republic, the promagistracy was invented in order to provide Rome with governors of overseas territories instead of having to elect...
-Vicar General
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of São Paulo from 1909 to 1911.
On March 24, 1911, Cintra was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro and Titular Bishop of Orthosias in Phoenicia by Pope Pius X
Pope Pius X
Pope Saint Pius X , born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, was the 257th Pope of the Catholic Church, serving from 1903 to 1914. He was the first pope since Pope Pius V to be canonized. Pius X rejected modernist interpretations of Catholic doctrine, promoting traditional devotional practices and orthodox...
. He received his episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on the following June 24 from Joaquim Arcoverde de Albuquerque Cavalcanti
Joaquim Arcoverde de Albuquerque Cavalcanti
Joaquim Arcoverde de Albuquerque Cavalcanti was the first Cardinal to be born in Latin America and the first cardinal from any South American diocese Joaquim Arcoverde de Albuquerque Cavalcanti (January 17, 1850, Cimbres, Pernambuco, Brazil – April 18, 1930, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)...
, with Archbishop Francisco do Rego Maia and Bishop Juan Terrero y Escalada serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
, in Rome. Cintra was later named Archbishop
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
of Olinda
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Olinda e Recife
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Olinda e Recife is an archdiocese located in the cities of Olinda and Recife in Brazil.-History:* 1614: Established as Territorial Prelature of Pernambuco from the Diocese of São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos...
on April 29, 1916; he also assumed leadership of the archdiocese
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 Recife
Recife
Recife is the fifth-largest metropolitan area in Brazil with 4,136,506 inhabitants, the largest metropolitan area of the North/Northeast Regions, the 5th-largest metropolitan influence area in Brazil, and the capital and largest city of the state of Pernambuco. The population of the city proper...
when it was united with Olinda two years later in 1918. On March 15, 1921, he became Coadjutor Archbishop
Coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
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 XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
created him Cardinal Priest
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
of Santi Alessio e Bonifacio in the consistory
Consistory
-Antiquity:Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together', just as the Greek synedrion ....
of July 3 of that same year.
Also in 1930, he intervened in the revolution
Brazilian Revolution of 1930
The Revolution of 1930 was a movement that overthrew President Washington Luís and installed Getúlio Vargas as Provisional President.-See also:*Revolutions of Brazil*History of Brazil...
through which Getúlio Vargas
Getúlio Vargas
Getúlio Dornelles Vargas served as President of Brazil, first as dictator, from 1930 to 1945, and in a democratically elected term from 1951 until his suicide in 1954. Vargas led Brazil for 18 years, the most for any President, and second in Brazilian history to Emperor Pedro II...
assumed power: The Cardinal was credited with saving the life of the incumbent president
President of Brazil
The president of Brazil is both the head of state and head of government of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the Brazilian Armed Forces...
, Washington Luís Pereira de Sousa
Washington Luís Pereira de Sousa
Washington Luís Pereira de Sousa was a Brazilian politician. His family was of Portuguese Romani descent. He was born in Macaé, Rio de Janeiro, and moved to São Paulo, where he became a lawyer. Elected governor of São Paulo state in 1920 and president of Brazil in 1926, Washington Luís was the...
. The revolutionary forces surrounded Guanabara Palace and were set to invade it, but the Cardinal succeeded in gaining admission to the Palace to negotiate the withdrawal of the deposed President, thus avoiding bloodshed. Before entering the President's office in Guanabara Palace, he said to the cabinet
Cabinet of Brazil
The Cabinet of Brazil is composed of the Ministers of State and senior advisors of the executive branch of the federal government of Brazil. Cabinet officers are appointed and dismissed by the President. There are currently twenty-four Ministries of State and fourteen other cabinet-level...
: "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". Cintra then successfully persuaded Luís to resign
Resignation
A resignation is the formal act of giving up or quitting one's office or position. It can also refer to the act of admitting defeat in a game like chess, indicated by the resigning player declaring "I resign", turning his king on its side, extending his hand, or stopping the chess clock...
after a half-hour-long conversation.
Among the many events to which he served as papal legate
Papal legate
A papal legate – from the Latin, authentic Roman title Legatus – is a personal representative of the pope to foreign nations, or to some part of the Catholic Church. He is empowered on matters of Catholic Faith and for the settlement of ecclesiastical matters....
was the dedication of Christ the Redeemer
Christ the Redeemer (statue)
Christ the Redeemer is a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; considered the largest Art Deco statue in the world and the 5th largest statue of Jesus in the world. It is tall, including its pedestal, and wide. It weighs 635 tonnes , and is located at the peak of the Corcovado...
on September 14, 1931. Cintra was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the conclave of 1939, which elected Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
. In 1941, he founded the Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro
Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro
The Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro is a private and non-profit Catholic university, located in Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil...
, that later was granted the title of "Pontifical Catholic University".
In 1942, the Cardinal died from a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at age 60 in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, and is there buried at the Shrine of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus.