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 VLADIMIR

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VLADIMIR

Castilian, was confessor of three kings and renowned as a theologian, orator, and astrologer. He took part in the Junta called by King Manuel to consider the offer Columbus had made to discover the Indies bj' sailing west and procured its rejection, which trans- ferred from Portugal to Spain the glory of finding America. He built a new and splendid front to the cathedral and consecrated it in June, 1516. In 1.520 Alfonso, sixth son of King Manuel, became Bishop of Vizeu at the age of eleven, and in his time books began to be kept for the registration of births, deaths, and marriages, a custom afterwards enjoined by the Council of Trent. He was followed, among others, by Cardinal Miguel da Silva (1527), and Cardinal Alex- ander Farnese (1547), who never came to the diocese, which he renounced in 1552. Gongalo Pinheiro (1553), famous classical scholar, ambassador to France, and subsequently bishop, held a synod in 1555, and made notable additions to the cathedral. Jorge de Athaide (1568) assisted at the Council of Trent and in the reform of the Missal and Breviary and built the cathedral sacristy and part of the bishop's palace; of noble familj- and a pious prelate, he refused four archbishoprics and left his residuary estate to the poor.

Miguel de Castro (1579), also a noble, was Viceroy of Portugal under the Spanish domination, and re- nowned for almsdeeds. On his transfer to Lisbon, Nuno de Xoronha, son of the Count of Odcmira, became bishop (1585) and built the seminary, doing the same for Guarda to which he was promoted. He was a notable reformer of the clergj-, and lived like the great fidalgo he was. The virtuous Dominican and Greek scholar .'Antonio de Sousa (1595) ruled only two years, being followed by Joao de Braganza, a model courtier and prelate, who gave his wealth to the poor. Joao Manuel (1610), son of the Count of Castanheira, after a personal visitation of the diocese in 1611, drew up constitutions which were approved at a synod in 1614 and he subsequently became Arch- bishop of Lisbon and viceroy. Joao de Portugal (1626), a Dominican of noble birth and saintly life, made a visitation of the diocese and finding most of his people ignorant of Christian doctrine, wrote and distributed a summary of it. It was remarked that he gave nothing to his relations, saying that the income of the dioce.se .should be spent upon it and its children, the poor. Bernardino de Senna (1629), a Franciscan, had held important posts in his order in different parts of Portugal, whither he travelled on foot begging alms, and he had refused two mitres. Becoming general he lived at Madrid with free entry to the palace, although dressed in rags. L'rban VIII named him minister general, and at the age of fifty- eight when he had visited and governed 6000 con- vents and 280,000 subjects. King Philip presented him to the See of Vizeu. Miguel de Castro IV (16.3.3) never took po.s.session,but Diniz de Mello e Castro (1036) in his two years' nile was diligent in his pa,storal office, especially in visitations, and was a great benefactor of the MLsericordias of the diocese. For the next thirty-two years the see remained vacant, owing to the war with .Spain following on the proclamation of Portuguese independence. Through Spanish pres- sure, the popes refu.sed to confirm the prelates named by King Joao IV and during eleven years Portugal and colonies had only one bishop, the others, appointed under the Philips, having died. This energetic man, who lived until one hundred and nine, is said to have ordained 20,000 priests :ind confirmed a million persons. Finally peace was made with Spain and in 1671 Manuel de Saldanha became bishop but died three months later and in 1673 .loao de Mello, a noble and man of greatest austerity, succeeded. He rebuilt the chancel of the cathedral, convened a synod in 1681, added to the constitutions of the diocese, and em[)loved the Oratorians in giving mis- XV.— 32.

sions. Ricardo RusseU, an Englishman, chaplain to Queen Catherine, wife of Charles II, was translated from Portalegrc in 1685 and established that congre- gation in Vizeu. He left the reputation of being a man of zeal and illustration, and though a severe disciplinarian, of ready wit.

Jerony mo Soares ( 1 694), a generous benefactor of the Misericordia, convoked a synod in 1699 and reformed the diocesan constitutions and those of many brother- hoods and confraternities. After his death the see remained vacant twenty years owing to differcncea between King Joao V and Rome. In 1740 Julio Francisco de Ohveira was appointed. Josd do Menino Jesus (1783), a CarmeGte, was a lover of art, as he showed by the statues he presented to the cathedral. He made two visitations of the diocese and was suc- ceeded by Francisco de Azevedo (1792), a prelate of great modesty and charity, who instituted five subur- ban parishes annexed to the cathedral and subsidized the rectors out of his own funds. He gave a new organ costing 20,000 cruaadnst to the cathedral and laid the foundation-stone of the new hospital of the Misericordia. This rule was troubled by the Pe- ninsular War and in 1810 British troops occupied his palace .and other ecclesiastical buildings. Francisco Alexandre Lobo (1819), famous for his learning .and writings, was minister under King Miguel and, when the Liberals triumphed in 1834, had to emigrate to France where he remained ten years. The new Gov- ernment refused to recognize the vicar-general to whom he had confided the diocese, naming another, which gave rise to a schism and cruel persecution of the faithful. Jo.se Xavier da Cerveira e Sousa (1859) abandoned the diocese through his inabihtj- to secure obedience from his priests in the matter of clerical dress and was followed by Antonio Alves Martins (1862), a Franciscan who espoused the Liberal cause and fought in the civil war against King Miguel. A talented, energetic, and charitable man and a great orator, he gave his hfe to poUtics and was jour- nalist, deputy, peer, and prime minister. He was a strong opponent of the Infallibility decree at the Vati- can Council and his independence gained him the admiration of the Portuguese Liberals, who have recently erected a statue of him in Vizeu. He was followed by Jose Dias Corrca de Carvalho (1883), translated from the See of Cabo Verde, where he was the first bishop to visit all the churches of the archi- pelago. The present prelate, Mgr. Antonio Alves- Ferreira dos Santos, is his immediate successor.

PiNHO Leal. Por(u{;a^ an/iffoemorferno, XII, s. V, Vizeu; D'Ar.i- GAO, Vizeu. Apontamentos historicoa (Vizeu, 1S9.5).

Edgar Phestage.

Vladimir the Great (VLAniMiR or Volodomir), Saint, Grand Duke of Kieff and .-Ml Ru.ssia, grand- son of St. Olga, and the first Russian ruler to embrace Christianity, b. 9.56; d. at Berestova, 15 July, 1015. St. Olga could not convert her son and successor, Sviatoslav, for he lived and died a pagan and brought up 'nis son VKadimir as a pagan chieftain. Sviatoslav had two legitimate sons, Yaropolk and Oleg, and a third .son, Vladimir, borne him by his court favourite Olga Malusha. .Shortly before his death (972) he bestowed the Grand Duchy of Kieff on Yaropolk and gave the land of the Drevlani (now Galicia) to Oleg. The ancient Ru.ssian capital of Novgorod threatened rebellion and, as both the princes refused to go thither, Sviatoslav bestowed its sovereignty upon the young Vladimir. Meanwhile war broke out between Y.inipolk and Oleg, and the former conquered the Drcvlanian territory and de- throned Oleg. When this news reached Vladimir he feared a like fate and fled to the V.ar.angians (\'.-iriags) of Scandinavia for help, while Yaropolk conquered Novgorod and united all I{us.sia under his sceptre. \ few years later Vladimir returned with a large force and retook Novgorod. Becoming bolder he waged