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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 December 2015
The long-traditional view of the Roman Catholic Church in Spanish America as a monolithic, wealthy, and all powerful institution has been gradually modified by successive studies over the last thirty years. From these examinations emerges the picture of a complex institution characterized by diversity, and internal conflict. New research continues to enlarge and clarify understanding of the Church's role as an institution of the Spanish empire.
What follows will, in highlighting the colonial Church's relationship to the Spanish crown, add to this view of it as a complex and diverse institution. An examination of crown policy with regard to Church finance in the sixteenth century shows that the episcopal hierarchy of the Mexican colonial Church had a subordinate relationship to the crown in the era of the Counter Reformation. Rather than a strong Church influencing the crown, what emerges is the portrait of a relatively weak, dependent institution, supported by the king. The secular church hierarchy had only enough power to carry out its function and serve as a counterpoint to the religious orders, not enough to achieve financial independence on its own. The basis for this relationship lies in the patrimonial nature of Castilian government and its dominant position over the Church hierarchy because of the Patronato Real.
1 For background information on this decision see de la Peña, José y Cámara, , “El manuscrito llamado ‘Gobernación espiritual y temporal de las Indias’ y su verdadero lugar en la historia de la recopilación,” Revista de Historia de América 12 (August, 1941):5–72 Google Scholar; Maurtua, Victor, ed., Antecedentes de ta recopilación de Indias: Documentos sobre la visita del Consejo de Indias por el licenciado Juan de Ovando (Madrid, 1906)Google Scholar; Padden, Robert, “The Ordenanza de Patronazgo, 1574: An Interpretive Essay,” The Americas 12 (1956):333–354.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2 See also Hennessey, Victoria M., “Clergy Disputes in the Third Mexican Council, 1585,” (Master of Arts Thesis, Tulane University, 1974).Google Scholar
3 Shiels, Eugene, King and Church: The Rise and Fall of the Patronato Real (Chicago, 1961), p. 18.Google Scholar
4 “Inter Caetera Divinae” (1493), and the two “Eximiae Devotionis” Bulls (1499 and 1501), and “Universalis Ecclesiae” (1508). See Shiels, pp. 79–81, 87; Hoyos, Rafael Gómez, La iglesia de América en las leyes de indias (Madrid, 1961), pp. 12–21 Google Scholar; Góngora, Mário, Studies in the Colonial History of Spanish America, trans. Southern, Richard, (New York, 1975), pp. 119–120.Google Scholar
5 Góngora, p. 120.
6 Francisco Solano, “Algunos aspectos de la política del consejo sobre la organización de la iglesia indiana en el siglo XVI,” in Ramos, D. et al., El consejo de las Indias en el siglo XVI (Valladolid, Spain, 1970), pp. 173–180 Google Scholar; Gutiérrez, Jesús García, Apuntes para la historia del origen y desenvolvimiento del regio patronato indiano hasta 1857 (México. 1940), pp. 101–103.Google Scholar
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8 Marroquí, José María. La ciudad de México, 3 vols., (México, 1900–1903) 3, p. 294.Google Scholar For a copy of the Bulls of Erection for the Diocese of Mexico see Concilio III provincial mexicano, celebrado en Mexico en el año de 1585 … (México, 1859) or Gutiérrez, Jesús García, Bulario de la iglesia mexicana … (México, 1951).Google Scholar
9 Accounts of the cathedral for 1575 and 1576, drawn up by Pedro de Quadrado, accountant of the cathedral, December 23, 1577, Archivo General de Indias, Seville (hereafter cited as AGI), Audiencia de Méjico (hereafter cited as Méjico), 339; “Noticias sacadas del libro que imprimió en México por elaño de 1668 el Doctor Don Ysidro Larriñana con el título de Noticia Breve de la Solemne deseada última dedicación del Templo Metropolitano de México celebrada 22 de Diciembre de 1667;” Archivo General de la Nación, México D. F. (hereafter cited as AGN), Ramo Historia, 14, Exp. 5.
10 Recopilación de leyes de los reynos de las Indias, 4 vols., (Madrid, 1791, facsimile edition, Madrid, 1943), Libro I, título xvi.
11 AGN, Civil, Tomo 1703, f. 52r.
12 Cédula, August 8, 1544, Carreño, Alberto María, Un desconocido cedulario del siglo XVIperteneciente a la catedral metropolitana de México (México, 1944), p. 190.Google Scholar
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14 Ibid.; Cédula, September 14, 1555, García, Genaro, ed., Documentos inéditos ó muy raros para la historia de México … 36 vols. (México, 1905–1911), 15:117–118 Google Scholar; Ennis, Arthur, Fray Alonso de la Vera Cruz OSA (1507–1584) (Louvain, Belgium, 1957), pp. 154–156 Google Scholar; Gibson, Charles, The Aztecs under Spanish Rule (Stanford, 1964), p. 123 Google Scholar; Recopilación, Libro 1, título xvi, ley xiii.
15 Report of Archbishop Montufar on the state of the archdiocese, 1570, in García Pimentel, pp. 9–10.
16 Viceroy Enríquez to the king, October 31, 1574, Biblioteca Nacional, Madrid (hereafter cited as BNM), MS#19692, pp. 120–22; Viceroy Enríquez to the king, December 6, 1574, AGI, Méjico, 19.
17 “Las Negocios deste Sancta iglesia Arcobispal de México que de preste paresce que convendrá se traten en el Rl Consejo de indias son las siguientes,” (late 1570s), AGI, Méjico, 339.
18 “Memoria de los Negocios q lleva a su cargo el Racionero Ro Muñoz … ,” Actas de Cabildo, June 20, 1586, Tomo III, ff. 227r-230v, Academia Mexicana de Genealogía e Heráldica, México D. F. (hereafter cited as AMGH), (Microfilm).
19 Recopilación, Libro I, título xvi, ley xiii.
20 Petition of archbishop, dean and cathedral of Mexico, September 27, 1576, AGI, Indiferente General, 1085.
21 Petition of Juan Velásquez de Salazar in the name of the City of Mexico, March 4, 1576, AGI, Méjico, 317; Petition to the Council of the Indies from the archbishop, dean and chapter of Mexico, September 27, 1576, AGI, Indiferente General, 1085, Tomo II.
22 Viceroy Enríquez to the king, March 27, 1576, AGI, Méjico, 19.
23 Cédula, October 24, 1576, AGI, Méjico, 2606, AGI, Méjico, 339.
24 Petition from dean and cabildo of Mexico, June 30, 1578; AGI, Indiferente General, 1086; Cédula December 10, 1577, Carreño, pp. 379–80; Cédula, August 12, 1578, AGI, Méjico, 339.
25 Cédula, December 17, 1579, AGI, Méjico, 339; Cédula, May 17, 1579, Carreño, pp. 342–43.
26 Instruction from the City of Mexico to its Alguazil Mayor, Don Diego de Velasco, April 18, 1582, AGI, Patronato Real, 183; Petition from dean and chapter of Mexico, February 28, 1583, AGI, Indiferente General, 1088, AGI, Méjico, 339; Petition from the Archbishopof Mexico, March 3, 1583, AGI, Indiferente General, 1088, AGI, Méjico, 339; City of Mexico to Council of the Indies, March 5, 1583, AGI, Méjico, 339; Provincial and friars of the Dominicans of New Spain to the king, September 6, 1579, AGI, Méjico, 284; Petition by religious orders of New Spain, March 3, 1583, AGI, Indiferente General, 1088, AGI, Méjico, 339; Auto of the Conde de Coruña, November 23, 1580, Carreño, pp. 380–81; Auto of the Audiencia of Mexico, December 7, 1584, Ibid., pp. 381–382.
27 “Memoria de las Negocios q lleva a su cargo el Racionero Ro Muñoz …” Actas de) Cabildo, June 20, 1586, Tomo III, f. 227r, 230v, AMGH, (microfilm); Carreño, pp. 382–384.
28 Recopilación, Libro I, título xvi, ley xii; Haring, C.H., The Spanish Empire in America (New York, 1947), pp. 57–58.Google Scholar
29 AGN, Civil, 1703, ff. 53r-54r; Dr. Arteaga Mendiola, fiscal, to the king, October 30, 1577, AGI, Méjico, 69; Minutes of the chapter meeting, December 7, 1574, Actas de Cabildo, Tomo II, AMGH (microfilm).
30 “Relación de una carta q los officiales de Mexico escribió a su M,” March 25, 1575, AGI, Méjico, 324; Dr. Arteaga Mendiola, fiscal to the king, October 30, 1577, Ibid., Legajo 69.
31 “Los Negocios deste Sancta iglesia Arcobispal de Mexco que de preste paresce que convendrá se traten en el Rl Consejo de Indias son las siguientes,” (late 1570s), AGI, Méjico, 339; “Memoria de las Negocios q lleva a su cargo el Racionero Ro Muñoz … ,” Actas del Cabildo, June 20, 1586, Tomo III, ff. 227r-230v, AMGH, (microfilm).
32 See accounts of the Cathedral of Mexico for 1575 and 1576, drawn up by Pedro de Quadrado, accountant, in AGI, Méjico, 339.
33 Cédula, January 9, 1540, Carreño, pp. 197–199.
34 Cédula, May 9, 1545, Ibid.
35 Cédula, November 13, 1545, Ibid.
36 Cédula, May 21, 1547, Ibid., pp. 208–11.
37 Cédula, December 29, 1557, Ibid., pp. 253–54.
38 Cédula, April 25, 1558, Ibid., pp. 255–56.
39 Cédula, September 3, 1564, The Hans P. Kraus Collection, Library of Congress, microfilm (hereafter cited as Kraus Collection), #63.
40 Informe regarding the need of the Church in Mexico, written by the provisor, plus other documents regarding the same matter, 1577, AGI, Méjico, 339.
41 Petition to Council of the Indies from dean and chapter of Mexico, November 13, 1573, AGI, Indiferente General, 1084.
42 Petition to Council of the Indies from dean and chapter of Mexico, February 4, 1574, AGI. Indiferente General, 1084.
43 Petition to the Council of the Indies by the Archbishop of Mexico, June 30, 1574, Kraus Collection, #75; Cédula, November 3, 1574, Carreño, pp. 329-30; See also AGI, Indiferente General, 1085, Tomo I, especially Petition to the Council of the Indies from the archbishop, dean and chapter of Mexico, March 23, 1575.
44 Petition to the Council of the Indies from the archbishop, dean and chapter of Mexico, April 27,1575, AGI, Indiferente General, 1085; it may be that the Council was awaiting further information on the value of the dos novenos required from Viceroy Enríquez, see royal Cédula, July 10, 1578, Carreño, pp. 338–39.
45 Petition to the Council of the Indies from the archbishop, dean and chapter of Mexico, October 1,1576, AGI, Indiferente General, 1085.
46 Moya de Contreras to the king, March 15, 1577, AGI, Méjico, 336.
47 Two copies of this Interrogatorio, both drawn up in 1577, along with supporting documentation, can be found in AGI, Méjico, 339.
48 Petition to the Council of the Indies from the dean and chapter of Mexico, November 28, 1578, AGI, Indiferente General, Legajo 1086; Viceroy Enríquez to the king, April 12, 1579, AGI, Méjico, 20; Moya de Contreras to the king, March 28, 1580, AGI, Méjico, 336.
49 Cédula, July 10, 1578, Carreño, pp. 338-39; the king to Moya de Contreras, June 17, 1580, Kraus Collection, #98.
50 Informe regarding the need of the Church in Mexico, written by the provisor, plus other documents pertaining to the same matter, various documents dated 1577-1581, AGI, Méjico, 339; another copy is also in AGI, Méjico, 339.
51 Consulta regarding the metropolitan Church of Mexico, October 16, 1582, AGI, Indiferente General, 740.
52 Cédula, January 3, 1583, Carreño, pp. 348–49.
53 Cédula, September 20, 1589, Ibid., pp. 365–66; Cédula, February 2, 1593, Ibid., pp. 370–71; Cédula, November 21, 1596, Ibid., pp. 373–75.
54 Accounts of the Cathedral of Mexico for 1575 and 1576, drawn up by Pedro de Quadrado, accountant, December 23, 1577, AGI, Méjico, 339; Informe regarding the need of the Church in Mexico, written by the provisor, plus other documents pertaining to the same matter, 1577–1581, Ibid.
