Arnaldo de Peralta

Arnaldo de Peralta was a 13th century Bishop of Zaragoza in Spain and Aragonese statesman. He was archdeacon of Lledó before being appointed a Bishop.^[1] On 1 Jun 1243 he was appointed Bishop of Valencia, Spain and on 25 Aug 1248 was translated to the see of Zaragoza. He died Bishop of Zaragoza, July 1271.^{[2] [3]}

Career

Co-Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar.

He was a vigorous and pragmatic church leader in a formative age for modern Spain and an era of slipping church control.

• He was Chancellor to James I of Aragon at the Treaty of Almizra,^[4] and was a key advisor to the King.
• He sought unsuccessfully to negotiate with the remaining Moors in Aragon.
• A shortage of clergy during his Bishopric led Arnaldo de Peralta to grant religious orders permission to receive bequests and sell burial spots in monasteries.
• He also endeavoured to protect church property, and the waiver of breaches of priestly celibacy by clerics.

He called a Synod early in his Bishopric and also attended the Council of Tarragona (May 1, 1246). He also built a number of churches, including a few on the site of former Mosques.^[5]

He was transferred to the bishopric of Zaragoza, on the death of Rodrigo de Ahonés (2-2-1248),^[6] and during his time here Saint Domingo de el Val (1243-1250), was martyred on the 31 August 1250. Arnaldo de Peralta died in Zaragoza in July 1271, and was succeeded by Sancho de Peralta.^[7]

References

1. Hortulus, Hortulus Journal, Volume 8, Number 1 p62.
2. Hierarchia Catholica Medii et Recentioris Aevi, Vol. 1, pp. 512, & 153
3. Episcopologio Español, Vol. 1500, p. 295, No. 86.
4. Robert Ignatius Burns, Paul Edward Chevedden, Negotiating Cultures: Bilingual Surrender Treaties on the Crusader-Muslim Frontier Under James the Conqueror, (Brill, 1999) page 148.
5. D. Arnaldo de Peralta (1243-1248) .
6. according to apostolic letters that gave October 24, 1248, and carrying date of August 25, 1248.
7. de Peralta at GCatholic.org.