Pelagio Antonio de Labastida y Dávalos
Ecclesiastical career
### Ecclesiastical career

He entered the Seminario Conciliar of [Morelia](/wiki/Morelia "Morelia") in 1830, where he was later professor and director. His classmates in the seminary included Clemente Murguía, future archbishop of [Michoacán](/wiki/Michoac%C3%A1n "Michoacán"), and [Melchor Ocampo](/wiki/Melchor_Ocampo "Melchor Ocampo"), future foreign minister of the Republic.

Labastida was ordained in 1839\. He soon became known as a conservative orator, preaching against all liberal and democratic ideas and against the Freemasons. He was a canon in Morelia in 1854\. He opposed the doctrines of liberals Melchor Ocampo and [Miguel Lerdo de Tejada](/wiki/Miguel_Lerdo_de_Tejada "Miguel Lerdo de Tejada") from the pulpit, calling them heretical. After the triumph of the Conservatives and on the nomination of [Antonio López de Santa Anna](/wiki/Antonio_L%C3%B3pez_de_Santa_Anna "Antonio López de Santa Anna"), in July 1855 he was consecrated bishop of Puebla, in the cathedral of Mexico City.

In December 1855 he used funds of the diocese to aid the revolt of [Antonio Haro y Tamariz](/wiki/Antonio_Haro_y_Tamariz "Antonio Haro y Tamariz"), because the federal government had ordered the sale of some of the real estate of the diocese.

After the Liberals returned to power in 1857, Labastida went into exile in Europe, where he supported the Conservative government. However the Conservatives were again in power in 1859, under General [Miguel Miramón](/wiki/Miguel_Miram%C3%B3n "Miguel Miramón"). Miramón recalled him to the country.

Later he was again exiled to Europe. In 1862 he visited Maximilian of Habsburg in [Trieste](/wiki/Trieste "Trieste"). At the beginning of the following year, he went to Italy to meet [Pope Pius IX](/wiki/Pope_Pius_IX "Pope Pius IX"). On March 18, 1863, Pope Pius named him [archbishop of Mexico](/wiki/Archbishop_of_Mexico "Archbishop of Mexico").


How did Labastida become bishop of Puebla?