Zeferino González y Díaz Tuñón

On 28 November 1844, in the College of Ocania, González entered the Dominican Order, and a year later took his solemn vows. He was sent to Manila in 1848 to complete his studies, and in January 1853, he was made a lector of philosophy. The following year he was ordained priest. After teaching philosophy and theology for many years in the University of Santo Tomas, Manila, he returned to Spain in 1867, where, the year following, he was elected rector of Ocania College, discharging the duties of this office for three years.

In 1874 he was named Bishop of Málaga, but, before taking charge of this diocese, he was consecrated Bishop of Córdoba in October 1875. Eight years later he was removed to the archiepiscopal See of Seville, and in November 1884, he was created cardinal by Pope Leo XIII, with Santa Maria sopra Minerva as his titular church.

In May, 1885, Cardinal González was appointed to the primacy of Spain, was made Patriarch of the West Indies, vicar-general of the army, and major-chaplain to the royal chapel. After many years of service González, in December 1889, resigned all his offices and dignities, except that of the cardinalate, and retired from active life. The remaining five years of his life were spent in study and prayer.

He was honoured with medals of Isabella the Catholic and Charles III, he was appointed chancellor of Castile, was chosen as royal adviser, made a member of the Royal Academy of Languages, of History, of Moral and Political Sciences, and of the Roman Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Among his several works are: "Estudios sobre la filosofía de Santo Tomás"; "Estudios religiosos, políticos y sociales"; "Philosophia elementaria"; "Historia de la filosofía"; "La Biblia y la ciencia"; "La infalibilidad pontificia" (pamphlet); "Discurso de recepción en la Academia Española" (pamphlet); "Discurso de recepción en la Academia de Ciencias políticas y morales" (pamphlet).

• Acta Cap. Ord. Praed. (Rome, 1885);
• Hugo von Hurter, Nomenclator literarius, III (Innsbruck, 1895), 1499;
• Vigil, La orden de praedicatores (Madrid, 1884), 297.

• Works by or about Zeferino González y Díaz Tuñón at Internet Archive
• Catholic Encyclopedia article
• Biography

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Missing or empty |title= (help)