Jesús Aguirre facts for kids

Jesús Aguirre y Ortiz de Zárate (born June 9, 1934 – died May 11, 2001) was an important Spanish thinker, a Jesuit priest, a book editor, and a member of the nobility. He was also known as the Duke consort of Alba because of his marriage.

After leaving the priesthood, he became the director for books at Taurus Publishing. Later, he worked for the Spanish government as the Director General of Music from 1977 to 1980. He married Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duchess of Alba, who was the head of the important House of Alba family. In 1986, he became a member of the Royal Spanish Academy, which is a very respected group that studies the Spanish language.

Early Life and Becoming a Priest

Jesús Aguirre was born on June 9, 1934, in Madrid, Spain. He spent most of his childhood in Santander. He began his journey to become a priest at Comillas Pontifical University, Madrid. There, he earned a degree in philosophy.

In 1956, he went to Munich, Germany, to study theology. This is the study of religious faith. He was there at the same time as Cardinal Ratzinger, who later became Pope. In Munich, he met people from a group called the Critical School. He also spoke at early meetings between Marxists and Christians.

In 1958, while on vacation in Spain, he joined a group called the People's Liberation Front. In 1962, he worked as a pastor at a church in Madrid. He left the priesthood in 1969. After leaving, he wrote a book called "Sermones en España" (Sermons in Spain). This book was first banned in Francoist Spain, meaning it was not allowed to be published. However, the ban was lifted in 1971.

While he was a priest, he also worked for Taurus Publishing House. He started by translating and editing religious books. He eventually became the editor-in-chief. In this role, he became friends with many Spanish writers and politicians. He was also responsible for translating many works from the Frankfurt School, a group of thinkers.

Life After the Priesthood and Marriage

While working at Taurus Publishing, Jesús Aguirre met Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duchess of Alba. He decided to leave the priesthood so he could marry her. The Spanish government then appointed him as the Director General of Music. He held this important position in the Ministry of Culture from September 8, 1977, to January 25, 1980.

On March 16, 1978, he married Cayetana Fitz-James, the Duchess of Alba. They had met just four months before their wedding. In 1981, he was chosen to be the president of the board of directors for a company called Zoilo Ruiz-Mateos SA. He also became a director at Bank Atlantic. Both of these companies were part of a large business group called Rumasa. He held these jobs until 1983.

In 1983, he was elected to be a member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando. In 1986, he became a member of the Royal Spanish Academy. He was also chosen to be a Commissioner for the Universal Exposition of 1992 in Seville. In December 1985, he joined the Real Academia Sevillana de Buenas Letras.

Death

On January 12, 2001, Jesús Aguirre went into a clinic in Madrid because he had laryngeal cancer, which is a type of throat cancer. He passed away on May 11, 2001, at 5:15 PM, from a pulmonary embolism at the Liria Palace in Madrid. He was buried in the family tomb of the House of Alba. This tomb is located in the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception at Loeches. The local priest led his funeral service.

Awards and Honors

Jesús Aguirre received many awards and honors during his life, including:

• Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise
• Grand Cross of the German Civil Merit
• First gold medal Manuel de Falla
• Honorary mayor of San Antonio, (Texas, United States)
• Knight of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
• President of the National Association of Newspaper Libraries.
• Vice-patron of the Royal Association of British Hispanic United World Colleges.
• Fellow of the International Institute for Prehistoric Research (Chicago, United States)
• Member of the European Association of Culture (Venice, Italy)

See also

In Spanish: Jesús Aguirre para niños