en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Alexander_VI
4 corrections found
In 1455, he inherited his uncle's post as bishop of Valencia
Rodrigo Borgia did not take over Valencia in 1455. Church reference works place his appointment in Valencia in 1458, not 1455.
Full reasoning
This date is off by about three years.
- Catholic-Hierarchy lists Rodrigo de Borja as appointed Administrator of Valencia on 30 June 1458 and installed on 21 July 1458.
- A history published by the Archdiocese of Valencia likewise says he took possession of the Valencian see on 21 June 1458.
So the article's statement that he inherited the Valencia post in 1455 is incorrect; the evidence places his assumption of that office in 1458.
2 sources
- Pope Alexander VI (Rodrigo de Borja) [Catholic-Hierarchy]
30 Jun 1458 | Appointed | Administrator of Valencia, Spain ... 21 Jul 1458 | Installed | Administrator of Valencia, Spain.
- La Iglesia en Valencia. Síntesis histórica — Archidiócesis de Valencia
Tomó posesión de la sede valentina el 21 de junio de 1458.
Rodrigo only legitimized his children after becoming pope.
This blanket statement is incorrect. At least one of Rodrigo Borgia’s children, Pedro Luis, was legitimized in 1481, before Rodrigo became pope in 1492.
Full reasoning
The statement is too absolute.
- The Real Academia de la Historia says Pedro Luis de Borja, Rodrigo's eldest son, was legitimized by Sixtus IV on 5 November 1481 and recognized again in 1483.
- The same institution's biography of César Borja says he was dispensed from the defect of illegitimacy by a bull of Sixtus IV on 1 October 1480 so he could hold benefices.
Since these steps happened in 1480–1481, they predate Rodrigo Borgia's election as pope in 1492. So it is wrong to say he only legitimized his children after becoming pope.
2 sources
- Pedro Luis de Borja - Historia Hispánica (Real Academia de la Historia)
Sixto IV lo legitimó (5 de noviembre de 1481) y reconoció (4 de febrero de 1483) como hijo de su vicecanciller a la sazón.
- César Borja - Historia Hispánica (Real Academia de la Historia)
Fue dispensado del defecto de ilegitimidad por una bula de Sixto IV (1 de octubre de 1480) ... a fin de que pudiera acceder a los beneficios.
In the Jubilee year 1500, Alexander ushered in the custom of opening a holy door on Christmas Eve and closing it on Christmas Day the following year.
The closing date is wrong. Vatican sources say the Holy Door for the 1500 Jubilee was closed on Epiphany, 6 January 1501, not on Christmas Day 1500.
Full reasoning
The article gets the end date of that Jubilee rite wrong.
The Vatican's own liturgical documentation says:
- the Holy Year begun by opening the Holy Door on Christmas Eve 1499;
- the Jubilee continued until the Epiphany of the Lord, 6 January 1501;
- and the rite of closing the Holy Door at St. Peter's for the Jubilee of 1500 was celebrated on 6 January 1501.
So Alexander VI did help institutionalize the Holy Door rite for that Jubilee, but it was not closed on Christmas Day the following year. The official closing was on Epiphany, 6 January 1501.
2 sources
- Closing of the Holy Door - Vatican
The Jubilee experience of grace and mercy is to continue until the closing of the Holy Year on the day of the Epiphany of our Lord Jesus Christ, 6 January 2001 ... the rite of closing of the Holy Door of the Vatican Basilica was celebrated on 6 January 1501.
- Resources for the Holy Year - Holy Doors
The Holy Door of the Jubilee of 1500 was opened on Christmas Eve 1499 and was closed on the Solemnity of Epiphany in 1501.
The pope gave Cardinal Borgia discretion over whether to give dispensation for Ferdinand's marriage to his second cousin Isabella of Castile, and Borgia decided in favour of approving the marriage.
This overstates Rodrigo Borgia’s role. Sources say Sixtus IV himself issued the dispensation bull in December 1471, and Rodrigo Borgia was sent to carry it to Spain.
Full reasoning
The documentary record cited by Spanish historical reference works says the dispensation was issued by Pope Sixtus IV, not left to Rodrigo Borgia's personal discretion.
- Historia Hispánica (Real Academia de la Historia) states that on 1 December 1471, Sixtus IV signed the dispensation bull for the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabel and later gave Rodrigo Borja legatine powers to bring it to the Peninsula.
- The Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes likewise says the marriage dispensation was granted by Sixtus IV in December 1471, while Rodrigo's legation was a separate step.
So Rodrigo Borgia did play an important diplomatic role, but the claim that the pope gave him discretion to decide whether to grant the dispensation is not accurate: the pope himself issued the bull.
3 sources
- 1471 1/xii - Historia Hispánica (Real Academia de la Historia)
Sixto IV firma la bula de dispensa para el matrimonio de Fernando e Isabel y otorga poderes de legado (el 22 de diciembre) a Rodrigo Borja para traerla a la Península.
- La infanta que llegó a reinar, Isabel de Trastámara | Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes
Los hitos más relevantes son la concesión de la bula de dispensa del matrimonio de los príncipes, concedida por Sixto IV en diciembre de 1471; la legación del cardenal Rodrigo de Borja...
- Museo del Ejército - Muere el rey Fernando el Católico
les entregaría una bula que legitimara su matrimonio –la cual en realidad, según las fuentes históricas, ya estaba en su poder– ...