Honorific-Prefix: | The Most Excellent and Most Reverend Lord |
Manuel Rojo del Río y Vieyra | |
Archbishop Of: | The Archbishop of Manila |
See: | Manila |
Enthroned: | July 22, 1759 |
Ended: | January 30, 1764 |
Predecessor: | Pedro José Manuel Martínez, O.F.M. |
Successor: | Sancho de Santa Justa |
Birth Name: | Manuel Antonio Rojo del Río y Vieyra |
Birth Date: | September 24, 1708 |
Birth Place: | Tula de Allende, Viceroyalty of New Spain (now Hidalgo, Mexico) |
Death Place: | Manila, Captaincy General of the Philippines |
Nationality: | Spanish (later Mexican) |
Religion: | Roman Catholic |
Consecration: | January 29, 1748 |
Consecrated By: | Manuel José Rubio y Salinas |
Honorific-Prefix: | Archbishop |
Manuel Antonio Rojo del Río y Vieyra | |
Office: | Governor-General of the Philippines |
Term Start: | July 1761 |
Term End: | January 30, 1764 |
Predecessor: | Bishop Miguel Lino de Ezpeleta |
Successor: | Dawsonne Drake (in Manila) November 2, 1762 Simón de Anda y Salazar January 31, 1764 |
Battles: | Seven Years' War |
Arzobispo Manuel Rojo del Río y Vieyra | |
Dipstyle: | Monseñor |
Offstyle: | Su Excelencia Reverendísima |
Relstyle: | Reverendísimo |
Manuel Antonio Rojo del Río y Vieyra (September 24, 1708 – January 30, 1764)[1] was a Mexican (originally Spanish Criollo) friar who served as the 16th Archbishop of Manila and was Governor-General of the Philippines at the commencement of the 1762–1764 British occupation of the Philippines.
Rojo del Río was born in Tula, Mexico on September 24, 1708. On 1758, he was consecrated archbishop of the Archdiocese of Manila.[2]
On May 31, 1759, the death of Governor-General Pedro Manuél de Arandía left the position vacant. Bishop Miguel Lino de Ezpeleta of the Archdiocese of Cebu succeeded him as well as becoming acting Archbishop of Manila.[3] On 22 July 1759, Rojo del Río was enthroned as Archbishop of Manila. In 1761, a royal decree from Spain ruled that Rojo del Río replace Ezpeleta to become Governor-General.[4]
Del Río died in office on 20 January 1764.
"Albeit he had the gift of knowledge, he had no judgment, especially in matter military, to which he was hostile and negative, since this was an area outside his profession and character." This was to prove fatal during the capture of Manila.[5]