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Ecclesiastical Reform of Nunneries in New Spain in the Eighteenth Century

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 December 2015

Asunción Lavrin
Asunción Lavrin*
Affiliation:
Chicago, Illinois
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Extract

During the second half of the seventeenth century and the early years of the eighteenth century relaxation of the morals of religious orders, especially the masculine ones, and of the priesthood was notable in Spain and her American dominions. That this situation also existed in New Spain was reported in detail by several contemporary Viceroys in the Instrucciones to their successors. This relaxation also extended to feminine orders, though in their case it did not lead to a similar moral looseness, but to a lack of proper observance of their Rules and Constitutions. Among the main charges against nunneries were: the possession of large numbers of servants; the constant demands made upon the families of nuns for money to be spent on the needs of convents; quarrels, both among members of communities and with their Superiors, leading to appeals to civil authorities and frequent contacts with the outer world, which deteriorated the spiritual character of these institutions.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Americas , Volume 22 , Issue 2 , October 1965 , pp. 182 - 203
Copyright
Copyright © Academy of American Franciscan History 1965

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References

1 Instrucciones que los Vireyes de Nueva España dejaron a sus sucesores (2 vols., “Biblioteca Histórica de la Iberia,” Vols. XII-XIV; México, 1873), I, 135, 151, 254.

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8 BNAF, Patente del Vicario Provisional Fr. Buenaventura Valera, 1727; Patente del Comisario General Fr. Juan de Figueroa, 1744; Patente de Fr. Joseph Ximeno, 1750.

9 Bancroft Library (Hereafter referred to as BL), Tomo Regio al IV Concilio Provincial Mexicano (2 vols.), Vol. I, f. 1.

10 Archivo General de la Nación (Hereafter referred to as AGN), Ramo Templos y Conventos, Vol. XX, Exp. 2, 3, 4.

11 BL, Tomo Regio al IV Concilio, Vol. I, ff. 11–23.

12 Fabián, Francisco y Fuero, , Coleccion de Providencias Diocesanas (Puebla, 1770), p. 7.Google Scholar

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15 AGN, Bienes Nacionales, leg. 77, Carta del Arzobispo de México, Francisco A. Lorenzana, a la Abadesa del convento de La Concepción; Carta de la Abadesa del convento de La Encarnación a la Abadesa de La Concepción.

16 AGN, ibid., Cartas del Marqués de Croix a la Abadesa del convento de La Concepción.

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20 Fabián, Francisco y Fuero, , Coleccion de Providencias Diocesanas dadas por el Illmo. y Exento. Señor D. Francisco Fabian y Fuero (2 vols.; Valencia, 1793), II, 67.Google Scholar For a very good account of the incidents concerning the common life, see also, Bobb, Bernard, The Viceregency of Antonio María Bucareli in Neva Spain, 1771–1779 (Austin, 1962).Google Scholar

21 AGN, Bienes Nacionales, leg. 77, Cartas de las monjas de la Santísima Trinidad de Puebla.

22 AGN, Reales Cédulas, Vol. CU, p. 326.

23 AGN, ibid., Vol. CIII, p. 121; Templos y Conventos, Vol. XX, Exp. 2, 3, 4.

24 AGN, Reales Cédulas, Vol. XCIX, p. 330; Vol. C, p. 55; Vol. CI, p. 42; Vol. CIL p. 326; BNAF, Real Cédula de 22 de enero de 1771 a la Abadesa y Religiosas del Convento de La Concepción de México.

25 BL, Tomo Regio al IV Concilio, Vol. I, passim.

26 AGN, Reales Cédulas, Vol. XCIX, p. 304.

27 de Guevara, B. Ladrón, Manifiesto que el Real Convento de religiosas de Jesus Maria, de Mexico … hace al Sagrado Concilio Provincial (México, 1771), passim.Google Scholar

28 BNAF, Representación que la Abadesa, Vicaria y Definidoras del Sagrado y Real Convento de La Concepción de México hicieron ante el Concilio celebrado en la ciudad de México, 1771.

29 Nunneries derived their income mainly from capital invested in urban and rural property in the form of mortgages which paid 5% of interest per annum.

30 BNAF, Exposición de la Abadesa, Definidora y demás religiosas del Convento de Santa Clara de Puebla, enero 19, 1774, in Autos seguidos por la Provincia del Santo Evangelio contra el Convento de Santa Clara de Puebla … , 1770–1774; AGN, Templos y Conventos, Vol. XX, Exp. 2, 4.

31 AGN, Correspondencia de los Virreyes, Vol. V, pp. 187, 193, 197, 202.

32 AGN, Bienes Nacionales, leg. 77, Carta de las monjas de La Santísima Trinidad de Puebla. It is difficult to judge to what extent this report gives an accurate description of this incident, for later the nuns of Santa Inés denied these charges to the Archbishop of Mexico. See, AGN, Historia, Vol. CXXXVIII. However, there is good evidence that the nuns of Santa Inés were forcibly obliged to leave their cells, as it was stated in a formal complaint which they sent to the King. See, AGN, Reales Cédulas, Vol.CII, p. 329.

33 AGN, Correspondencia de los Virreyes, Vol. V, p. 187 ff., pp. 233-253; Historia, Vol. CXXXVIII. The nuns received their ocurso back with a statement that the measures taken by the Bishop were just.

34 AGN, Reales Cédulas, Vol. CI, p. 42; Vol. CII, p. 326; Vol. CIII, p. 121; Templos y Conventos, Vol. XX, Exp. 2, 3.

35 La Administración de D. Frey Antonio María de Bucareli y Ursua (2 vols. [“Publicaciones del Archivo General de la Nación,” Vols. XXIX-XXX], México, 1936), II, 294.

36 Ibid., p. 296; AGN, Historia, Vol. CXXXVIII.

37 AGN, Historia, Vol. CXXXVIII.

38 AGN, Reales Cédulas, Vol. CIV, p. 214.

39 AGN, Correspondencia de los Virreyes, Vol. XI, pp. 100, 101, 104, 121.

40 AGN, ibid., Vol. VIII, p. 86; Historia, Vol. CXXXIV.

41 AGN, Correspondencia, Vol. XI, pp. 100, 107.

42 AGN, ibid., Vol. VIII, p. 126; Vol. XI, p. 194; Historia, Vol. CXXXVII. Nuns in Santa Catarina in Oaxaca complained that they had been forced by their Father Provincial into accepting the common life. They claimed that they lacked spiritual help and had been told that they were in mortal sin for not following the common life. The Bishop of Antequera visited this nunnery and was successful in restoring peace in it. He excused the nuns for their fears and complaints, but he approved the reform as a means of restoring discipline in the convents and he supported the measures taken by the Father Provincial. AGN, Correspondencia, Vol. VIII, p. 106 ff.; Vol. XI, pp. 191-193, 199-200; Historia, Vol. CXXXIV. The nuns of private life of Santa Inés were prevented from electing a Prioress from among themselves through the exhortations of the Viceroy. Since their conduct was attributed to the “bad influence” of a citizen of Puebla, the latter was expelled from the city. AGN, Correspondencia, Vol. VIII, p. 143; Vol. XI, p. 204; Historia, Vol. CXXXIV. In Balvanera of Mexico City many nuns of private life refused to admit the profession of a novice of the common life. The Archbishop intervened and let her profess.

43 AGN, Bienes Nacionales, leg. 77, Carta a la Abadesa del Convento de La Concepción.

44 AGN, Correspondencia de los Virreyes, Vol. VIII, p. 167; Historia, Vol. CXXXIV.

45 However, there must have been something unsatisfactory in the procedure of those conversions reported to the King, for in a cédula of 1776 he stated that nuns should not be obliged to take an oath regarding the common life since only a promise of following it was required by the cédula of May, 1774. See, AGN, Reales Cédulas, Vol. C VII, p. 471. See also, Historia, Vol. CXXXVIII.

46 AGN, Reales Cédulas, Vol. CX, pp. 400-401; Vol. CXI, p. 38.

47 AGN, Correspondencia de los Virreyes, Vol. VII, p. 143; Historia, Vol. CXXXIV.

48 AGN, Reales Cédulas, Vol. CXII, pp. 60, 216; Historia, Vol. CXXXIV.

49 AGN, Correspondencia de los Virreyes, Voi. VII, pp. 155-175; Historia, Vol. CXXXIV.

50 AGN, Correspondencia de los Virreyes, Vol. VII, pp. 141–151, 189–202.

51 AGN, Reales Cédulas, Vol. CXIV, p. 350; Historia, Vols. CXXXVI, CXXXVII.

52 AGN, Reales Cédulas, Vol. CXIX, p. 281. It should be mentioned that the Inquisitor Vallejo was a personal friend of the Bishop of Puebla. See, AGN, Correspondencia de los Virreyes, Vol. VII, pp. 97–98, 100.

53 AGN, Historia, Vol. CXXXVI.

54 BL, Tomo Regio al IV Concilio, Vol. I, f. 307. The royal representative reported that at the Council of Trent, Pope Benedict XIV, Cardinal de Luca and Barbosa expressed that if the common life did not exist in a convent at the time of a nun's profession, she could not be obliged to follow it.

55 Valdés, Manuel A. (ed.), Gazetas de Mexico, Vol. 5, No. 1 (1792), p. 9.Google Scholar The number of girls in the convents was 165.

56 AGN, Correspondencia de los Virreyes, Vol. X, p. 203 ff.; Vol. XI, pp. 118, 121. The niñas of the convent of Jesús María in Mexico City had been allowed to remain in the cloister for their education, since this had been the original purpose of the foundation of the convent. See, AGN, Historia, Vol. CXXXIV.

57 Valdés, M. A., Gazetas …, Vol. 8, No. 19 (1796–1797), p. 150.Google Scholar

58 Villaroel, Hipólito, Enfermedades políticas que padece la capital de esta Nueva España, etc. (“Bibliófilos Mexicanos,” Segunda Serie, No. 5; México, 1937), p. 65.Google Scholar

59 Beaumont, Francisco J. Lizana, Carta Pastoral a las R. R. M. M. Superiores y Subditas del Arzobispado de Mexico (México, 1803), p. 27.Google Scholar See also, AGN, Correspon dencia de los Virreyes, Vol. X, p. 275; Templos y Conventos, Vol. VI, Exp. 4. These two sources refer to the convent of La Concepción in Oaxaca, which had been excused from following the common life in 1774 due to the inadequacy of its income and the poor health of its aged nuns. In 1803 it still continued in the practice of the private life and probably never observed the reformed way of life.

60 de Arechederreta, Juan B., A las RR. MM. preladas y religiosas de los conventos sujetos a la filiación ordinaria del arzobispado de Mexico (México, 1826), passim Google Scholar; “Estado General de los Diez y Nueve Conventos de Religiosas sujetos a la Filiación Ordinaria del Arzobispado de Mexico,” Boletín del Archivo General de la Nación, XXIV (1953), 473–500.