He was born in Rua Direita, in Santa Marinha, Vila Nova de Gaia, on 25 December 1800, into a family from the local petty bourgeoisie, the son of José Bento Rodrigues Guimarães and his wife Ana de São José. He was orphaned by his father before his fifth birthday. He entered the Congregation of the Secular Canons of St John the Evangelist at a very young age and was professed at the Beato António Convent in
Lisbon. After his novitiate, he went to the school of his order in
Coimbra. He received his doctorate in
theology from the Faculty of Theology of the
University of Coimbra on 30 July 1826. He was ordained on 11 March 1826. In Coimbra, he was professor of history at the School of Arts, for ten years professor of theology at his university, member of the executive council of primary and secondary education. Pastor of parishes in the diocese of Porto. Chapter vicar of
Elvas and
Castelo Branco from 1841 to 10 September 1844. Provisor and vicar-general of Lisbon in 1844. Elected titular archbishop of Mitilene and appointed auxiliary archbishop of Lisbon on 24 November 1845, he was consecrated on 22 February 1846 in the church of São Vicente de Fora by Cardinal Guilherme Henriques de Carvalho, patriarch of Lisbon. Transferred to the Cathedral of Coimbra with the personal title of archbishop on 15 March 1852, he became
ex officio Count of Arganil. Promoted to the patriarchal see of Lisbon on 18 March 1858, he was created cardinal-presbyter on 25 June, without however having received the galero and a
titulus in
Rome, but he did receive his barrette from King
Pedro V in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Lisbon. As the country's leading ecclesiastical figure, he officiated at the marriages of King Pedro V to Queen
Stephanie, and of King
Luís to Queen
Maria Pia. He died on 26 September 1869 and was buried in the Church of São Vicente de Fora. His body has been in the Pantheon of the Patriarchs of Lisbon since the middle of the 20th century. == Titles and honours ==