Fernando de Toledo Oropesa

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Fernando de Toledo Oropesa (1520–1590) was a Spanish Roman Catholic priest who was made a cardinal but who refused the honor.

Biography[]

Fernando de Toledo Oropesa was born in Spain in 1520, the son of Luis de Toledo y Pacheco and Inés Duque Estrada.^[1] A noble family, they were related to the counts of Oropesa and to Cardinal Juan Álvarez de Toledo.^[1]

He studied at the University of Salamanca.^[1] While there, he became friends with Juan de Ribera.^[1] After university, he was ordained as a priest.^[1]

The King of Spain offered him several ecclesiastical posts, but Toledo refused them all.^[1] He was appointed president of the Royal Audiencia of Lima; he initially accepted this position, but then reconsidered and declined to travel to the Viceroyalty of Peru.^[1] Instead, he remained in Spain and dedicated himself to preaching, hearing confessions, and assisting the sick and poor.^[1]

Upon the insistence of Philip II of Spain, Pope Gregory XIII made him a cardinal in the consistory of February 21, 1578.^[1] The nuncio in Spain, Cardinal Filippo Sega communicated the king's thanks to the pope on March 13, 1578, but then on May 5 reported that Toledo had declined the appointment.^[1] The pope and the king agreed that Sega could convey the biretta to Toledo on the assumption that Toledo could be prevailed upon to accept the appointment.^[1] However, Toledo refused repeatedly and on July 4, 1578, the pope accepted Toledo's refusal and withdrew his creation, complaining to Philip II that the king had insisted he make a cardinal of someone who would refuse the honor.^[1] The king replied that he never imagined any of his subjects would refuse a cardinalate.^[1]

Toledo continued his priestly duties until his death.^[1] He died in Oropesa in 1590, in the middle of giving a sermon. He was buried in the monastery of the Immaculate Conception in Oropesa.^[1]

References[]