Pedro García Naranjo

Pedro Manuel García Naranjo (April 29, 1838 – September 10, 1917) was a Peruvian Catholic priest who served as the 26th Archbishop of Lima from 1908 to 1917. As an educator, he placed special emphasis on improving priesthood education provided at the Seminary of Lima. Under his episcopate, the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru was founded in 1917.

Life Pedro Manuel was born on April 29, 1838, in Lima, Peru. He was the son of Manuel García and Manuela Naranjo, belonging to a distinguished Lima family.

He studied at the Seminario Conciliar de Santo Toribio de Lima, where he later served as a professor. For thirty years, he taught courses in Latin, Physics, Astronomy, Canon Law, Dogmatic Theology, and Moral Theology.

Episcopacy On September 11, 1907, the President of Peru, José Pardo y Barreda, proposed him for the Archbishopric of Lima, which had become vacant due to the death of Archbishop Manuel Tovar y Chamorro. Pope Pius X recommended him on December 16, 1907. On January 14, 1908, he was consecrated by the Apostolic Delegate Ángel María Dolci, Titular Archbishop of Nacianzo.

In 1915, during the , the Constitution of Peru was reformed, proclaiming freedom of worship, thus modifying the privileged situation that the Catholic Church had enjoyed until then. This historical reform unleashed a wave of attacks on the Church, mainly expressed in universities, especially the University of San Marcos, which was the only institution providing higher education in Lima at the time. This led the Catholic hierarchy to found a confessional university. Thus, the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru was born in 1917, and it was granted the status of Pontifical by the Holy See in 1942.

Death He died after nine years of episcopal leadership. During that time, he did not conduct the pastoral visit to his archdiocese. He bequeathed his house in Lima to the diocesan seminary of Santo Toribio and his residence in Barranco to the Church of La Victoria. His remains were buried in the crypt of the Cathedral of Lima.