10 Facts About Fidel Villarroel

Fidel Villarroel was a Spanish historian, writer, filipinologist, biographer, political commentator, Master Theologian of the Dominican Order, and member of the Order of Isabella the Catholic.

Fidel Villarroel had served as secretary to the Apostolic Nunciature for 32 years, and is currently an academic director of the prestigious Academia Filipina de la Lengua Espanola, the local branch of the renowned Real Academia Espanola based in Madrid, Spain, and part of the Asociacion de Academias de la Lengua Espanola.

Fidel Villarroel is 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.

Fidel Villarroel then took up Philosophy and Theology at the House of Studies in the Convent of Avila, where he started his Dominican vocation.

Fidel Villarroel held various administrative posts at the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, serving as Head of the Spanish Department for 25 years, head of the University of Santo Tomas Archives for almost 50 years, Prefect of Libraries, and Professor of Church History in the Faculty of Sacred Theology.

Fidel Villarroel earned his Doctorate in Sacred Theology from UST.

Fidel Villarroel authored the Positio Super Introductione Causae or cause of beatification leading to the canonization of San Lorenzo Ruiz and his companion martyrs.

Fidel Villarroel 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.

Fidel Villarroel was a recipient of the National Book Awards in 1999.

In 2009, Fidel Villarroel was installed as Master of Sacred Theology, an honorary title once held by St Dominic de Guzman, given by the Dominican Order to its most distinguished scholars.