Juan de Borja Lanzol de Romaní, el mayor facts for kids
Juan de Borja Lanzol (Llançol) de Romaní, el mayor (born in 1446 – died August 1, 1503) was an important leader in the Catholic Church. He was the first of ten "cardinal-nephews" chosen by Pope Alexander VI. A cardinal-nephew was a relative of the Pope who was made a cardinal. Juan de Borja was the cousin of Pope Alexander VI's father.
Biography of Juan de Borja
Juan de Borja was born in 1446. His parents were Galcerán de Borja y Moncada and Tecla Navarro de Alpicat. From a young age, he was involved with the church. He served as a canon, which is a type of priest, in the cathedral of Valencia. He was also a paborde (a church official) in Albal.
Another relative, Pope Sixtus IV, gave Borja an important role around 1408. He became a "protonotary apostolic," meaning he helped prepare official church documents. Later, Pope Innocent VIII made him the Governor of Rome.
On September 13, 1483, Juan de Borja was chosen as the archbishop of Monreale. An archbishop is a high-ranking bishop who oversees a large area called an archdiocese. Even though he held this title until he died, he never actually visited Monreale. There is no clear record that he was ever officially ordained as a priest or consecrated as a bishop.
After the election of 1492, his relative Rodrigo became Pope Alexander VI. On August 31, 1492, Pope Alexander VI made Juan de Borja a cardinal. He was given the title of cardinal-priest of S. Susanna.
Church Roles and Travels
As a cardinal, Juan de Borja gained many church positions and their incomes. From 1493 to 1497, he managed the church area of Olomouc in Moravia. He was also named a "papal legate" to Alfonso II of Naples on April 18, 1494. A papal legate is a special representative of the Pope.
He became the bishop of Ferrara on October 29, 1494. He officially took over this role in June 1497 and held it until his death. He also served as the bishop of Melfi from September 1494 to December 1498.
In May 1494, Juan de Borja attended the coronation of Alfonso II of Naples. He himself crowned Alfonso as king on May 18. Juan de Borja, along with Cesare Borgia and Pope Alexander VI, met with Alfonso in July 1494. They planned military strategies against their opponents, including Cardinal Ascanio Sforza and Charles VIII of France.
Juan de Borja delivered Pope Alexander VI's peace terms to Charles VIII on December 25, 1494. To escape French troops, he retreated with the Pope to the Castel Sant'Angelo and later to Orvieto. In 1500, he took over the important church office of Vice-Chancellor. On April 24, 1503, Borja became the Latin Patriarch of Constantinople, which was an honorary title.
See also
In Spanish: Juan de Borja Llançol de Romaní, el mayor para niños
- Juan de Borja (disambiguation)
