XIMÉNEZ DE CISNEROS, FRANCISCO

Franciscan archbishop of Toledo, cardinal, inquisitor general, and governor of Castile; b. Torrelaguna, New Castile, 1436; d. Roa, near Valladolid, Nov. 8, 1517. The name is also spelled Jiménez according to modern Spanish orthography. Little is known of his life before 1492. He studied at Alcalá and Salamanca, receiving a doctorate in both Canon and civil law, and also, for a while at Rome. Because of his claim to the archpriesthood of Uzeda, he was imprisoned by Archbishop Carillo of Toledo, who did not, however, succeed in getting him to resign this benefice. After being freed from prison, he exchanged the archpriesthood for the office of vicar general of Sigüenza. From a desire for greater solitude for prayer, he became an Observantine Franciscan in 1484, changing his first name from Gonzalo to Francisco.

The year 1492 marked a decisive change in this life. In that year, at the advice of Cardinal Pedro González de mendoza, who recognized Ximénez's outstanding ability, Queen isabella i of Castile chose him as her confessor. In 1494 he was appointed vicar provincial of the Observantine Franciscans in Castile, and, after the death of Cardinal Mendoza in 1495, archbishop of Toledo. From then on, his activity, which constantly increased until his death, was amazing. Ferdinand and Isabella found in him a strong arm for the religious reformation of the religious orders, especially the Conventual Franciscans. In his archdiocese he renewed the ecclesiastical and Christian life, holding synods, rigorously administering the revenues, visiting the suffragan dioceses, and printing liturgical and devotional books. He endeavored unsuccessfully to have the cathedral chapter live a community life. By his efforts he saved the mozarabic rite from extinction. In 1500 he had the Moors of Granada baptized, and gave orders to burn thousands of Qur’āns, but to save the Arabic books on medicine, philosophy, and history. His burning of the Qur’āns, which was approved by almost all his contemporaries, has been condemned by many modern critics who do not understand the circumstances of the time.

It was only after the death of Queen Isabella in 1504 that Ximénez took an active part in national and international politics. In that year he acted as mediator between Philip I the Handsome and Ferdinand the Catholic in their dispute over the succession to the throne of Castile. When Philip died in 1506, Ximénez was given charge of the government of Castile until Ferdinand returned from Naples in the following year, bringing back with him for Ximénez the cardinal's hat and the nomination to the office of inquisitor general. In 1509 Ximénez organized and directed the conquest of Oran in northwestern Algeria. When Ferdinand died in January 1516, the government of Castile was again entrusted to Ximénez. By his splendid political activity he succeeded in saving the work of the "Catholic Kings," Ferdinand and Isabella. When he had Charles proclaimed king, he managed to prevent Spain from being badly governed from Flanders; he suppressed the haughty turbulence of certain nobles and the uprising in some cities that were opposed to the army that he established; he counteracted the intrigues of the clique of Prince Ferdinand; he lightened the people's tax load and improved their farmlands. For the Indies he drew up a plan of which the heart was the establishment of settlements for Christianizing and civilizing the native peoples, and although it failed, its norms served for the future. He was respectful, though forceful, in his relations with the Holy See. He defended Navarre from the attacks of the French; he continued, with varying success, the war in north Africa, and aided with his counsel the governor of Aragon, Archbishop Alfonso of Zaragoza. Yet his enemies induced the young king to send him a cold letter of dismissal, ungrateful despite its formal words of thanks. Some say that the cardinal died before the letter reached him.

With the income of his archbishopric, Ximénez supported innumerable good works. In the field of education he was the outstanding patron of the University of alcalÁ de Henares, which he founded, and also the generous founder of the Major College of San Ildefonso with its cortege of minor colleges. He financed the printing of many religious books, notably the famous polyglot bible, known as the Complutensian (from Complutum, the Latin name of Alcalá), which contains the first printed edition of the Greek New Testament. In the field of religion and social works he endowed churches, monasteries, and convents; founded homes for the aged and for poor young women; and established public granaries, etc.

He left a reputation of sanctity. His austerity and love of poverty were proverbial. In his episcopal residence he lived as a Franciscan friar. His cause of beatification was introduced in 1626, but was suspended in 1746. Efforts are now being made to reintroduce it on the basis of ample documentary investigation. Although accused of excessive severity, he was one of Spain's great political geniuses, and in the field of religion he is rightly regarded as the reformer and renewer of the Spanish church before the Council of Trent.

Bibliography: a. gomez de castro, De rebus gestis a Francisco Ximenio Cisnerio (Alcalá 1569), basic biography on which all later ones largely depend. p. de quintanilla y mendoza, Archetypo de virtudes (Palermo 1653), important for use made of Alcalá archives. Letters. Cartas del cardenal … Cisneros (Madrid 1867). Cartas de los secretarios del cardenal … Cisneros (Madrid 1875). Other items. j. l. de ayala, El cardenal Cisneros: Gobernador del reino, 2 v. (Madrid 1921–28). l. fernÁndez de retana, Cisneros y su siglo, 2 v. (Madrid 1929–30). j. meseguer fernÁndez, Archivo Ibero-Americano 2d época 13 (1953) 243–248, 353–357; 18 (1958) 257–286, 322–330. j. m. pou y martÍ, "Proceso de beatificación del cardenal Cisneros," ibid. 17 (1922) 5–28. w. starkie, Grand Inquisitor: Being an Account of Cardinal Ximénez de Cisneros and His Times (London 1940), popular treatment.

[j. meseguer fernÁndez]