Biography.guide
Home › People › Catholic priest › José María Martín de Herrera y de la Iglesia
Portrait of José María Martín de Herrera y de la Iglesia

José María Martín de Herrera y de la Iglesia

1835 – 1922

Catholic cardinal

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About José María Martín de Herrera y de la Iglesia

Lived 1835 – 1922 (aged 87). José María Martín de Herrera y de la Iglesia was a Spanish catholic priest and catholic bishop.

José María Martín de Herrera y de la Iglesia (26 August 1835 in Aldeadávila de la Ribera, Spain – 8 December 1922 in Santiago de Compostela, Spain) was a long-serving cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church in the early years of the twentieth century. Unusually, he served as archbishop of dioceses in more than one different country, being both archbishop of Santiago de Cuba and of Santiago de Compostela during his career in the Church.

Ordained in September 1859, José María Martín quickly showed his ability in theology and canon law. However, rather than become a theology professor he spent the following seventeen years in pastoral work before he was chosen as an Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba (in those days given to someone from Spain) at the relatively young age of forty (at the same time he was in the running to become Auditor of the Roman Rota).

Although he was aided by several other prominent Spaniards in administering his Cuban diocese, José María Martín was eventually returned to Spain in the more prestigious role of Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela in 1889. He was elevated to Cardinal by Pope Leo XIII in 1897 and participated in the 1903 and 1914 papal conclaves. However, by the time of the 1922 conclave Cardinal Martín was much too old to travel to Rome and thus he excused himself from participating. He died in December of that year.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
University of Salamanca
Positions held
Cardinal, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Compostela, Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba
Awards
Collar of the Order of Charles III
Also known as
Jose Maria Martin de Herrera y de la Iglesia

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped José María Martín de Herrera y de la Iglesia's

Frequently asked questions

Who was José María Martín de Herrera y de la Iglesia?

Catholic cardinal (1835–1922)

When was José María Martín de Herrera y de la Iglesia born?

José María Martín de Herrera y de la Iglesia was born on 26 August 1835 in Aldeadávila de la Ribera.

When did José María Martín de Herrera y de la Iglesia die?

José María Martín de Herrera y de la Iglesia died on 8 December 1922 in Santiago de Compostela.

What was José María Martín de Herrera y de la Iglesia's occupation?

José María Martín de Herrera y de la Iglesia was a catholic priest and catholic bishop.

What nationality was José María Martín de Herrera y de la Iglesia?

José María Martín de Herrera y de la Iglesia was Spanish.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: José María Martín de Herrera y de la Iglesia

· Wikidata: Q929376

· DBpedia: José María Martín de Herrera y de la Iglesia

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). José María Martín de Herrera y de la Iglesia. https://biography.guide/jose-maria-martin-de-herrera-y-de-la-iglesia/

MLA: "José María Martín de Herrera y de la Iglesia." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jose-maria-martin-de-herrera-y-de-la-iglesia/.

Chicago: "José María Martín de Herrera y de la Iglesia." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jose-maria-martin-de-herrera-y-de-la-iglesia/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:20 UTC