Fidel Villarroel

Fidel Villarroel (18 March 1929 – 23 October 2016) was a Spanish historian, writer, filipinologist, biographer, political commentator, Master Theologian of the Dominican Order, and member of the Order of Isabella the Catholic. A recipient of the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, he is the former Archivist, Spanish Department Director, Prefect of Libraries, and professor at the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas. He had also served as secretary to the Apostolic Nunciature for 32 years(1959–1991), and academic director of the prestigious Academia Filipina de la Lengua Española (Philippine Academy of the Spanish Language), the local branch of the renowned Real Academia Española based in Madrid, Spain, and part of the Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española (Association of Spanish Language Academies).

He is also known as the most-prolific saint-maker in the Philippines for his Positio Super Introductione Causae, or historical research, that he made for the beatification and canonization of Lorenzo Ruiz and fifteen other companion-martyrs.

Early years Villarroel was born and grew up in the town of Tejerina, in Leon, Spain. He also received the Cruz de Isabel la Catolica in 1985 from the Spanish government for his works which exemplified the relations between Spain and the international community, and the Catholic Authors Award by the Asian Catholic Publishers Inc. in 1991.

Publications

Books Some of Villarroel's books Apolinario Mabini, his birth date and student years (1964) Father Jose Burgos, University Student (1971) Cruzada española en Vietnam: Compaña de Cochinchina. Introducción y edición de Fidel Villarroel, O.P. (1972) Contribucíon de la Universidad de Santa Tomás al desarrollo de la literatura hispanofilipina: Discurso (1974) Fray Jerónimo Román: Historia del Siglo de Oro (1974) El Padre Antonio Gonzalez, Martir (1981) Christian Witnessing: Martyrdom and Martyrs (1981) Jose Rizal and the University of Santo Tomas (1984) Lorenzo De Manila: The Protomartyr of the Philippines and His Companions (1987) Un siglo de apostolado(1887–1987) (1993) Marcelo H. Del Pilar, His Religious Conversions (1997) Marcelo H. Del Pilar at the University of Santo Tomas (1997) The Dominicans and the Philippine Revolution, 1896–1903 (1999) Miguel De Benavides, O.P., 1550–1605: Friar, Bishop, and University Founder (2005) Philip II and the "Philippine Referendum" of 1599 (2009) A History of Santo Tomas: Four Centuries of Higher Education in the Philippines (1611–2011) Volume I (2012) A History of Santo Tomas: Four Centuries of Higher Education in the Philippines (1611–2011) Volume II (2012)

Honors

Outstanding Thomasian Awardee for Historical Research (1982) Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice from Pope John Paul II (1984) Cruz de Isabel la Catolica from the King of Spain, Juan Carlos I (1985) Catholic Authors Award by the Asian Catholic Publishers Inc. (1991) National Book Awards (1999) Master of Sacred Theology of the Dominican Order (2009), a title once held by St. Dominic de Guzman Gintong Aklat Award (2014)