Silvério Gomes Pimenta

The Most Reverend Silvério Gomes Pimenta
Titular Archbishop of Mariana
240px D. Silvério Gomes Pimenta, first Archbishop of Mariana
Other posts	Auxiliary Bishop of Mariana Titular Bishop of Câmaco (1890–1897) Bishop of Mariana (1897–1906)
Orders
Ordination	July 20, 1862 by Antônio Ferreira Viçoso
Consecration	August 31, 1890 by Pedro Maria de Lacerda
Personal details
Born	(1840-01-12)January 12, 1840 Congonhas do Campo, Minas Gerais
Died	Mariana, Minas Gerais
Denomination	Roman Catholic

Silvério Gomes Pimenta (12 January 1840 – 30 August 1922) was a Brazilian educator, poet, sacred orator, biographer, prelate and archbishop of Mariana. He was the first prelate elected member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters, for the chair 19. In 1903, he presided over the First Synod of the Diocese of Mariana.

Biography

Silvério Gomes Pimenta was born in Congonhas do Campo. Orphaned at an early age, Silvério Gomes soon had to work as a clerk to support his mother and four younger brothers. Showing an early aptitude for study, his godfather got him a place in the Congonhas College of the Lazarist Fathers. He was confirmed godson of Antônio Ferreira Viçoso, Bishop of Mariana, who granted him admission to the city's seminary. He entered at the age of 14. Two years later he was already a professor of Latin, a position he held for 28 years. Besides Latin, he taught Philosophy and Universal History for 12 years. He was ordained deacon on April 21, 1862 and priest at the age of 22 by his godfather, on July 20.

He was vicar-general of the diocese, rendering great service to the then Bishop Dom Antônio Maria Correia de Sá e Benevides. In 1890 he was named Titular-Bishop of Câmaco and Auxiliary of Mariana. Consecrated on August 31, 1890, his principal consecrator was Bishop Pedro Maria de Lacerda, and his consecrators were Bishop Antônio Cândido Alvarenga and Bishop Joaquim José Vieira. In 1897 he was named bishop of Mariana, and in 1903 he presided over the First Synod of the Diocese of Mariana.

In 1906, Pope Pius X elevated the Diocese of Mariana to Archdiocese, and consequently, its bishop to archbishop. In 1910 he participated, in São Paulo, in the writing of the Collective Pastoral of the Archbishops and Bishops of the Ecclesiastical Provinces of Rio de Janeiro, Mariana, São Paulo, Cuiabá and Porto Alegre.

When he was named Titular-Bishop of Câmaco, he began to produce his famous pastoral letters. The first pastoral is dated November 24, 1890, and the last one is dated February 10, 1922.

In 1919 he was elected a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters, being received on May 28, 1920 by Carlos de Laet. He occupied the 19th chair, which has Joaquim Caetano da Silva as patron.

As a scholar of Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and the other languages he commonly used, Gomes Pimenta published poetry in Latin. His greatest work is the Life of D. Viçoso. As a journalist, D. Silvério founded and directed, in Mariana, the newspapers Bom Ladrão, O Viçoso, O D. Viçoso and D. Silvério, edited under his guidance and directed by Fathers Severiano de Resende and João Luís Espeschit.

Works

• O papa e a revolução (1873)
• Peregrinação a Jerusalém (1897)
• D. Antônio Ferreira Viçoso, bispo de Mariana, conde da Conceição (1876)
• A prática da confissão (1873)
• Cartas pastorais (1890-1922)

External links

• Archbishop Silvério Gomes Pimenta

Catholic Church titles
New title Titular see erected	— TITULAR — Archbishop of Mariana 1906–1922	Succeeded by Helvécio Gomes de Oliveira
Preceded by Antônio Maria Correia de Sá e Benevides	Bishop of Mariana 1897–1906	Succeeded by elevation to Archdiocese
Preceded by Petrus Hendricus Josephus van Ewijk	Titular Bishop of Câmaco 1890–1897	Succeeded by Jean-Louis-Joseph Derouet

Academic offices
Preceded by Alcindo Guanabara	20px Brazilian Academy of Letters – Occupant of the 19th chair 1920–1922	Succeeded by Gustavo Barroso