The Third Mexican Provincial Council was a 1585 provincial council of the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Mexico . Unlike the first two Mexican Provincial Councils, it was approved by the Holy See . It called for reform of the repartimiento system of Indian labor.
15-497: Pedro Moya de Contreras , the archbishop of Mexico , convoked the council in February 1584; it officially opened on January 20, 1585, and ran until November of the same year. The other bishops in attendance were: The council dealt in large part with the topic of Indian labor. Consiliar decrees ordered that clergy cease the practice of using unpaid native labor for personal service and construction work. Hernando Ortiz de Hinojosa ,
30-569: A conflict between the viceroy and the Audiencia. Philip named Moya, then the sitting Archbishop of Mexico. As visitador, he took up the accusations against the corrupt oidores and other officials of the viceroyalty. He dismissed the former and punished the latter, some by hanging. In a letter reporting to the king, he praised those officials who had honestly met their obligations, and castigated others. Suárez de Mendoza died in June, 1583. The Audiencia
45-834: A little longer while he wound up his affairs before returning to Spain. Upon his return, he became president of the Council of the Indies , a position he held until his death. Moya de Contreras died in Spain in December, 1591, so poor that the Crown paid for his funeral. His body was interred in the parish church of Santiago, in Madrid. He left various writings which were collected in the book Cartas de Indias , published in Madrid in 1877. Murcia Too Many Requests If you report this error to
60-712: The Audiencia ), nobles and religious to the most humble members of society, to solemnly swear to defend the Catholic faith and persecute heretics "as rabid dogs and wolves, infectors of spirits and destroyers of the vineyard of Our Lord." He celebrated the first auto-da-fé in New Spain in 1571. Two years later, on June 15, 1573, Moya de Contreras was chosen Archbishop of Mexico and consecrated bishop on November 21, 1573, by Antonio Ruíz de Morales y Molina , Bishop of Tlaxcala (Puebla de los Angeles) . He served until 1591,
75-717: The Ten Commandments in their native language. It also reiterated a number of decrees from the Council of Trent . These covered topics regarding the communion of saints and the veneration of images, and ordered churches to keep records of baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and funerals. The council's published documents included: The decrees received papal approval in 1589, and were published in 1623. The catechisms received royal approval in 1621. Pedro Moya de Contreras Pedro Moya de Contreras (sometimes Pedro de Moya y Contreras ) (c. 1528, Pedroche , Córdoba Province , Spain – December 21, 1591, Madrid )
90-704: The University of Salamanca . Later he became head of the cathedral school in the Canary Islands , and then inquisitor of Murcia . In 1571 he became the first inquisitor general of New Spain (and thus the first inquisitor general in the New World). He established the Tribunal del Santo Oficio in Mexico City in 1571. As inquisitor general he required people of New Spain, from the oidores (members of
105-405: The vicar-general of Mexico, submitted a series of dubia to the council regarding the repartimiento system of indigenous labor. He questioned whether the repartimiento system was permissible at all; whether repartimiento labor, originally intended for public works, could legitimately be used for private profit; and whether repartimiento labor could be used specifically in
120-591: The Indians from the repartimiento system. The council ordered that schools should be established to teach basic Spanish literacy to Indians. It banned a number of practices which were believed to lead to idolatry, including certain popular festivals, as well as the depiction of animals, demons, or stars alongside saints in sacred images. It elaborated on an existing decree that candidates for baptism should have "a good understanding of Christian doctrine", laying out requirements that they should learn several prayers and
135-534: The members of the Convent of San Francisco . The Franciscans responded with a sweeping rejection of the repartimiento system, denouncing it as "illegal and evil and full of cruelty" in all its forms. Ultimately, the council passed a somewhat qualified series of resolutions, condemning the repartimientos "in the manner in which they are now carried out" and calling for reforms from the governor. The council also petitioned King Philip II of Spain for relief for
150-430: The silver mines, known for their severe conditions. The council submitted a list of questions, based closely on Hinojosa's, to a group of Franciscan scholars and theologians for advice. This group included Hinojosa himself, Pedro de Pravia , Melchor de los Reyes, Juan de la Plaza , Alonso Ponce [ es ] , Pedro de San Sebastián, Juan Zurnero, Fulgencio de Vega y Vique , Pedro Morales, Juan de Salcedo, and
165-711: The year of his death. In 1585 he convoked and presided at the Third Provincial Council of the Church in Mexico, which established standards for the Church that endured to the end of the colonial era. This council banned the enslavement of the Indians. As both archbishop and viceroy, one of his major concerns was education of the Indians. He founded the Seminary of the Indies, to teach them Christian doctrine, reading, writing, singing and trades. While bishop, he
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#1732779830436180-485: Was a prelate and colonial administrator who held the three highest offices in the Spanish colony of New Spain , namely inquisitor general, Archbishop of Mexico , and Viceroy of Mexico , September 25, 1584 – October 17, 1585. He was the 6th Viceroy, governing from September 25, 1584, to October 16, 1585. During this interval he held all three positions. Moya de Contreras received the degree of doctor of canon law from
195-407: Was able to remedy many of the prevalent abuses, with immediate punishment for those found to be transgressors of the law or of decency. This resulted in much enmity among the governing class, but the lower classes proclaimed him as their defender. He was able to increase rents and payments to Spain considerably. In 1584 he resigned as viceroy, but retained his other positions (including visitador) for
210-406: Was formally in charge of the colony for 16 months, until the installation of the new viceroy. However, Moya de Contreras continued in the position of visitador during the interregnum, with much influence. In 1584, he was named viceroy to succeed Suárez. He took up the new position on September 25, 1584. He now held the three most important positions in the colony. With this concentration of power, he
225-440: Was the principal consecrator of Juan de Medina Rincón y de la Vega , Bishop of Michoacán (1574); Francisco Gómez de Mendiola y Solórzano , Bishop of Guadalajara (1574); and Alfonso Graniero Avalos , Bishop of La Plata o Charcas (1579). In 1583 Moya de Contreras's predecessor as viceroy, Lorenzo Suárez de Mendoza, 4th conde de la Coruña , asked King Philip II to name a special visitador (royal inspector) to help resolve
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