José Joaquim Mascarenhas de Castello Branco - A Stan Klos Website
MASCARENHAS DE CASTELLO BRANCO,
José Joaquim (mas-cah-rain'-yas), Brazilian R. C.
bishop, born in Rio Janeiro, 23 August, 1731; died there, 28 January, 1805.
He was graduated at the University of Coimbra in 1754, ordained priest
the same year, and became judge of the inquisition successively in Evora,
Lisbon, and Rio Janeiro.
In 1773 he was appointed assistant bishop of Rio
Janeiro, and consecrated in Lisbon. Before he arrived in South America his
bishop died, and he therefore took charge of the see at once, on 15 April, 1774.
He forced the clergy of his diocese to pass examination on moral theology, in
spite of the refusal of many, particularly the Carmelite monks.
He also established lectures for his clergy, and, unless
they showed a certificate of attendance, they were not admitted to the exercise
of their priestly functions. He established at his own expense in the seminary
of the diocese classes of rhetoric, philosophy, geography, cosmology, and
natural history, and founded a school of music.
In 1784 he
was appointed by the pope general visitor of the Carmelite convents, and
established strict discipline. Bishop Mascarenhas rendered eminent service to
his courttry in promoting the public wealth by introducing coffee-seed from Asia
and distributing it in different parts of Brazil. He also gave great impulse to
the cultivation of indigo.
Edited Appletons Encyclopedia by John Looby, Copyright © 2001
StanKlos.comTM
MASCARENHAS DE CASTELLO BRANCO, Jose Joaquim (mas-cah-rain'-yas), Brazilian R. C. bishop, born in Rio Janeiro, 23 August, 1731; died there, 28 January, 1805. He was graduated at the University of Coimbra in 1754, ordained priest the same year, and became judge of the inquisition successively in Evora, Lisbon, and Rio Janeiro. in 1773 he was appointed assistant bishop of Rio Janeiro, and consecrated in Lisbon. Before he arrived in South America his bishop died, and he therefore took charge of the see at once, on 15 April, 1774. He forced the clergy of his diocese to pass examination on moral theology, in spite of the refusal of many, particularly the Carmelite monks. He also established lectures for his clergy, and, unless they showed a certificate of attendance, they were not admitted to the exercise of their priestly functions. He established at his own expense in the seminary of the diocese classes of rhetoric, philosophy, geography, cosmology, and natural history, and founded a school of music. In 1784 he was appointed by the pope general visitor of the Carmelite convents, and established strict discipline. Bishop Mascarenhas rendered eminent service to his court-try in promoting the public wealth by introducing coffee-seed from Asia and distributing it in different parts of Brazil. He also gave great impulse to the cultivation of indigo.
