Roman Catholic Cardinal. A native of Agullent, a small town located in the Valencian community, Enrique Reig y Casanova entered seminary in Valencia at an early age, but feeling unworthy to become a priest, abandoned his studies shortly before his ordination, getting subsequently married. Settling himself as a barrister, the cholera of 1885 cut short the lives of his wife and child. Successively, he decided to abandon his profession and re-enter seminary. Ordained the following year for the diocese of Almería, he taught history at the local seminary for a brief period until being appointed vicar general of Mallorca, where he stayed until 1900 when he moved to the archdiocese of Toledo, serving as sociology professor at the seminary and archdeacon of the cathedral chapter. Founding the "La revista parroquial" review, other assignments of his included those of rector of the "Academia Universitaria Católica", professor of religion and sociology at a local school and auditor of the Sacred Rota of Madrid. Appointed bishop of Barcelona, he received his episcopal consecration on November 8, 1914 in Madrid. On April 22, 1920, he was promoted to the archdiocese of Valencia and successively transferred to the metropolitan and primatial see of Toledo two years later on December 14, 1922, being created cardinal with the title of San Pietro in Montorio by Pope Pius XI in May 1923. A long and painful illness brought his end at the age of 68. Reig was not the only formerly married man to be elevated to the Sacred College of Cardinals: English prelates Henry Manning and Thomas Weld, were both widows who entered clerical state upon the death of their wives.
Roman Catholic Cardinal. A native of Agullent, a small town located in the Valencian community, Enrique Reig y Casanova entered seminary in Valencia at an early age, but feeling unworthy to become a priest, abandoned his studies shortly before his ordination, getting subsequently married. Settling himself as a barrister, the cholera of 1885 cut short the lives of his wife and child. Successively, he decided to abandon his profession and re-enter seminary. Ordained the following year for the diocese of Almería, he taught history at the local seminary for a brief period until being appointed vicar general of Mallorca, where he stayed until 1900 when he moved to the archdiocese of Toledo, serving as sociology professor at the seminary and archdeacon of the cathedral chapter. Founding the "La revista parroquial" review, other assignments of his included those of rector of the "Academia Universitaria Católica", professor of religion and sociology at a local school and auditor of the Sacred Rota of Madrid. Appointed bishop of Barcelona, he received his episcopal consecration on November 8, 1914 in Madrid. On April 22, 1920, he was promoted to the archdiocese of Valencia and successively transferred to the metropolitan and primatial see of Toledo two years later on December 14, 1922, being created cardinal with the title of San Pietro in Montorio by Pope Pius XI in May 1923. A long and painful illness brought his end at the age of 68. Reig was not the only formerly married man to be elevated to the Sacred College of Cardinals: English prelates Henry Manning and Thomas Weld, were both widows who entered clerical state upon the death of their wives.
Bio by: Eman Bonnici
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