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Enrique Pla y Deniel
File:Cardenal-pla.jpg
Church positions
See Toledo
Title Cardinal Archbishop of Toledo
Period in office October 3, 1941—July 5, 1968
Successor Vicente Enrique y Tarancón
Previous post Bishop of Salamanca
Created cardinal February 18, 1946
Personal
Date of birth December 19, 1876
Place of birth Barcelona, Spain
Date of death July 5, 1968
Place of death Toledo, Spain
Styles of
Enrique Pla y Deniel
CardinalCoA PioM
Reference style His Eminence
Spoken style Your Eminence
Informal style Cardinal
See Toledo

Enrique Pla y Deniel (December 19, 1876—July 5, 1968) was a Spanish Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Toledo from 1941 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1946 by Pope Pius XII.

Biography[]

Enrique Pla y Deniel was born in Barcelona, and studied at the seminary there before attending the Pontifical Gregorian University and the Angelicum in Rome. Ordained to the priesthood on July 25, 1900, he completed his studies in 1903 and then did pastoral work in Barcelona, where he also served as a seminary professor, director of several newspapers, and cathedral canon.

On December 4, 1918, Deniel was appointed Bishop of Ávila by Pope Benedict XV. He received his episcopal consecration on June 8, 1919 from Archbishop Francesco Ragonesi, with Bishops Enrique Reig y Casanova and Francisco Mas y Oliver serving as co-consecrators. Deniel was later translated to Bishop of Salamanca on January 28, 1935.

Pope Pius XII named Deniel Archbishop of Toledo, and thus Primate of the Church in Spain, on October 3, 1941. He was created Cardinal Priest of San Pietro in Montorio by Pope Pius in the consistory of February 18, 1946. Deniel was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 1958 papal conclave, which selected Pope John XXIII. From 1962 to 1965, he attended the Second Vatican Council, and sat on its Board of Presidency.

The Spanish cardinal was considered conservative in his views.[1] Although he was a supporter of General Franco (particularly during the Spanish Civil War),[2] Deniel refused to fire a prominent priest from his post as editor of a Catholic Action newspaper after the latter attacked Spain's press censorship;[3] he did, however, privately suspend the priest. Deniel voted in another conclave, that of 1963, which resulted in the election of Pope Paul VI.

Deniel died in Toledo, at age 91. He is buried in the Cathedral of Toledo.

Trivia[]

  • During the Spanish Civil War, Deniel (then Bishop of Salmanca) offered Franco his episcopal residence as headquarters[4]. He also presided over the marriage of Franco's daughter María[5].
  • Pope Paul VI visited the ill Cardinal on the day after his election the papacy[6].

References[]

  1. TIME Magazine. Toward a Change June 22, 1962
  2. TIME Magazine. Embarrassing Fact March 18, 1946
  3. TIME Magazine. Shuffle in Spain November 22, 1954
  4. TIME Magazine. The Roads to Rome January 7, 1946
  5. TIME Magazine. All in the Family April 17, 1950
  6. TIME Magazine. The Path to Follow June 28, 1963

External links[]

Preceded by
Joaquín Beltrán y Asensio
Bishop of Ávila
1918–1935
Succeeded by
Santos Moro Briz
Preceded by
Francisco Frutos Valiente
Bishop of Salamanca
1935–1941
Succeeded by
Francisco Barbado y Viejo, OP
Preceded by
Isidro Goma y Tomas
Archbishop of Toledo
1941–1968
Succeeded by
Vicente Enrique y Tarancón

ca:Enric Pla i Deniel gl:Enrique Plá no:Enrique Pla y Deniel pt:Enrique Pla y Deniel

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