José Ignacio Cienfuegos

Who was José Ignacio Cienfuegos?

Fr. José Ignacio Cienfuegos Arteaga was a Chilean priest, Roman Catholic bishop of Concepción and political figure. He served twice as President of the Senate of Chile.

Cienfuegos was born in Santiago, the son of Francisco Cienfuegos and of Josefa Arteaga Martínez. He studied Theology at the Universidad Real de San Felipe and was later ordained as a priest in 1778. Cienfuegos became a Dominican friar and in 1790 was named priest of Talca, where he worked for 23 years. As such, he actively participated in the independence movement in Chile.

On October 9, 1813, he became a member of the Government Junta. During his term the junta adopted the national flag, founded the National institute of science and numerous primary schools throughout the country. On March, 1814, Cienfuegos was elected titular member of the Consultive Senate of Chile. In 1814, after the battle of Rancagua, General Mariano Osorio deported him to the Juan Fernández Islands, where he remained for two years. He was allowed to return after the battle of Chacabuco in 1817. He was named administrator of the Santiago Cathedral in 1818 and participated in the formulation of the 1818 constitution. He was a member and President of the Conservative Senate of Chile between 1818 and 1820.