Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 15.djvu/835

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

ZUMARRAGA


767


ZUM^RAGA


their lack of cohesion, all idea of revolt and inde- pendence.

Though comprising different elements, the Zulus, disciplined and united by their terrible chieftains, are, generally speaking, handsome, tall, skilful and strong, athletic, and capable of advancement. No longer


the colony, relying only on his spiritual prerogatives, which commanded no respect from these immoral and unprincipled men. ITnfortunately, some mem- bers of other religious orders, envious perhaps of the Franciscans, upheld the persecutors of the Indians. Bishop Zumirraga attempted to notify the Spanish


given to warfare, they have engaged in stock-raising Court of the course of events, but the crafty auditors and agriculture, and have made rapid process in the had established a successful censorship of all letters ordinary trades. Most of them are fetishists, but and communications from New S))ain. Finally, "


the Catholic and Protestant missions have gathered iround them a fair number of converts. Zululand iocs not form a distinct rehgious unit: it dejiends on the Vicariate .\postohc of Xatal, which is confided to theOblatesof ^lary Immaculate. Lately a Zulu priest, a, doctor of theology, was ordained in the College of


Biscayan sailor concealed a letter in a cake of wax which he immersed in a barrel of oil.

Meanwhile news reached Mexico that Cortes had been well received at the Spanish Court and was about to return to New Spain. Fearful of the con.sequences, Guzmdn left Mexico, 22 Dec, 1529, and began his


the Propaganda, Rome, and is engaged in missionary famous expedition to Michoacan, JaUsco, and Sinaloa.

The two other auditors remained in power and con- tinued their outrages. In the early part of 1530 they dragged a priest and a former servant of Cortes from a church, quartered hira and tortured his servant. Bishop Zumdrraga placed the city under interdict, and the Franciscans retired to Texcoco. At Easter the interdict was removed, but the auditors were excommunicated for a year longer. On 15 July,1530,Cor"t&,invested w'ith the title of Captain General of New Spain, reached VeraCruz. The Court appointed new audi- tors, among them Sebastidn Ramirez de Fuenleal, Bi.shop of Santo Domingo, and the lawyer Vasco de Qn'^oga, afterwards the first Bishop of Michoacdn. In December of the same year the new "Audiencia" reached Mexico, and with their arrival began an era of peace for both Bishop Zumdrraga and the In- dians. Matienzo and Delgadillo were sent as prisoners to Spain, but Nuno de Guzmdn escaped, being then absent in Sinaloa. According to ancient and con- stant tradition it was at this time (12 Dec, 1.531) that the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe took place.

Meantime the calumnies spread by the enemies of Zumdrraga and the partisans


work mong his fellow Zulus.

Zulu-lan^ and the Tsizulu, Grammar of the Zulu Language 'Londou, 1893): Reclus, Noutelle giographie unirerselle: VA/rique Ttiridiotiah (Paris, 18S8); Les missions catholiques: mission rAfrique (Paris, 1902): Miasiones Catholieir (Rome, 1907).

A. Le Roy.

Zmnarraga, Ju.^n de, b. at Durango in the Basque 3rovinces in 146S; d. in Mexico, 3 June, 1548. He 'ntered the Franciscan Order, md in 1527 was cu,stodian of the convent of Abrojo, where he •eceived Charles V. Shortly if terwards he was appointed one )f the judges of the court for the 'xamination of witches in the 3asque province. From his ^Tilings it would appear that he ooketi upon witches merely as vomen possessed of hallucina- ions. By this time more de- ailed accounts of t he importance )f the conquest of Hernan Cort(5s jegan to be received, and on 20 Dec, 1.527, Zumdrraga was rec- )mmended by Charles V for the iignity of first bishop of Mexico. .Vithout having been conse-

rated and with only the title of

)ishop-elect and Protector of he Indians, he left Spain with he first civil officials, auditors Oidores), towards the end of \ugust, 1.528, and reached klexico, 6 December. Thirteen lays after, two auditors,


From

Parada lado, persons of years and experience, died. Their ■ompanions, Matienzo and Delgadillo, assumed heir authority, w'hich was also unfortunately ihared by Nuno de Guzmdn, who had come from lis territories in Panuco. Their administration vaa one of the most disastrous epochs in new jpain and one of great difficulty for Bishop Zumdr-


JCAN DE ZuMARRAOA

portrait in the Cathedral, City of Me:

and Maldo- of the first auditor had shaken the confidence of the Spanish Court, and the bishop received an order to repair to Spain. He set sail in May, 1.532. On his arri\al he met his implacable enemy Delgadillo, who, though still under indictment, continued his calumnies. Owing to this no doubt, Charles V had held back the Bull of Clement VII, dated 2 Sept., 1.530, naming Zumdrraga bishop.


aga. Cort(^s had returned to Spain just previous to Zumdrraga had, however, little difficulty in vindi- his and in his absence no limits seem to have been eating his good name, and was solemnly conse- )laced to the abuses of the auditors. They impover- crated at Valladolid on 27 April, 1533. .\fter another


shed the Indiana by taxes, sold them into slavery, )randed them with hot irons, sent shiploads to the Antilles, offered violence to Indian girls, and perse- uted with incredible fury the followers of Cortes.

Bishop Zumdrraga, as Protector of the Indians, ndeavoiu-ed vainly to defend them. His position Fas a critical one; the Spanish Court had not defined he extent of his jurisdiction and his faculties aa Pro- ector of the Indians. Moreover, he had not received piscopal consecration, and wa.s thus at a disadvan- age. The Indians appealed to him as protector with .11 kinds of complaints, sometimes greatly exagger- .ted. His own Franciscans, who had .so long laboured or the welf.are of the Indians, pressed him to put an nd to the excesses of the auditors. It was clear that


year in Spain, busied with matters relative to the welfare of the colony and favourable concessions for the Indians, he reached Mexico in Oct., l.')34, accom- panied by a number of mechanics and six women teachers for the Indian girls. lie was no longer Protector of the Indians, as the paternal administra- tion of the new auditors rendered this office un- necessary. On 14 Nov., 1,535, with the arrival of the first viceroy, Antonio de Mendoza, the rule of the new auditors ended, but Mendoza was no less paternal in his treatment of the Indians. Accord- ing to Fray Toribio de Motolinia the number of baptized Indians in Mexico in 1536 numbered five millions.

They were a flourishing community, but the diffi-


le must have an open conflict with the civil officials of culties of the situation must be borne in mind in