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The Author of the Mexican Council Catechisms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 December 2015

Ernest J. Burrus
Ernest J. Burrus*
Affiliation:
Institutum Historicum S. J., Rome, Italy
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Extract

In colonial times four ecclesiastical Councils were held in Mexico City: in 1555, 1565, 1585, and in 1771. Their decisions and enactments affected directly the extensive territory of New Spain and indirectly that of the Philippines.

The last two of these Councils ordered the publishing of three catechisms, of which two were actually printed. The 1585 Council decreed the publishing of a catechism, which, as we shall see, was taken over substantially by the 1771 Council for its lay catechism and partially also for its parochial manual.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Americas , Volume 15 , Issue 2 , October 1958 , pp. 171 - 178
Copyright
Copyright © Academy of American Franciscan History 1958

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References

1 The text of their decrees is to be found in the following publications: the 1555 and 1565 Councils are found in Concilios Provinciales primero y segundo, celebrados en la muy noble y muy leal ciudad de México, presidiendo el Illmo. y Rmo. Señor D. Fr. Alonso de Montújar, en los años de 1555 y 1565. Dalos a luz el Illmo. Sr. D. Francisco Antonio Lorenzana, Arzobispo de esta Santa Metropolitana Iglesia (México, en la Imprenta de Joseph Antonio de Hogal, 1769). For the 1585 Council there have been numerous editions: Mexico City in 1622 (first), 1770 (Lorenzana), 1859 (Arrillaga’s bilingual edition); Barcelona in 1870 (reprint of Arrillaga); Paris in 1725 and 1909 (the latter is vol. XXXIV of the Mansi collection). The only complete edition of the Acta of the 1771 Council I have found is that of 1898 I discovered lately in the Palafoxiana Library: Concilio Provincial Mexicano IV, celebrado en la Ciudad de México el año de 1771 … (Querétaro: Imprenta de la Escuela de Artes, 1898). Studies of the first three councils are found in Cuevas, Mariano S.J., Historia de la Iglesia en México, 2 (El Paso: Revista Católica Press, 1928), 92–105 Google Scholar; of the 1771 Council ibid., IV, 449, 450–472. Specker, Johann S.M.B., Die Missionsmethode in Spanisch-Amerika im 16. Jahrhundert, mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der Konzilien und Synoden (Schöneck-Beckenried: Nueu Zeitschrift für Missionswissenschaft, 1953)Google Scholar studies the first three Councils for the light they cast on the dissemination and preservation of the Faith in Latin America of the sixteenth century.

2 See below Document A.

3 The original text is reproduced below, Document B.

4 Father Juan de la Plaza was born in Medinaceli, Spain, in 1527; he entered the Society of Jesus in 1553 as an ordained priest, was the general superior of the Andalusian Province (1562–1565). From 1574 to 1579 he was the official Visitor, for the Jesuit General, of the Province of Peru; in the latter year he came in the same capacity to Mexico. 1580-1584 he was the Provincial of the Mexican Jesuits. He died in Mexico City on December 21, 1602. A few of the works that contain a biographical notice of Father de la Plaza are: de Rivas, Andrés Pérez S.J., Corónica y historia religiosa de la Provincia de la Compañía de Jesús, 2 (México: Imprenta del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, 1896; but written before 1654), 29–36 Google Scholar; Varones ilustres, no. 15, ff. 47–55, Vida del Padre Juan de la Plaza, in the Museo Nacional of Mexico (Arch. Gen. IXbis), undated, but latest reference in the volume of lives is 1645; Nieremberg, Juan Eusebio S.J., Vidas exemplares, 4 (Madrid: Alonso de Paredes, 1647), 749–754 Google Scholar; de Florencia, Francisco S.J., Historia de la Provincia de la Compañía de Jesús de Nueva España (México: Juan J. Guillena Carrascoso, 1694 Google Scholar; fac-simile edition: México: Editorial Academia Literaria, 1955), pp. 395–411. Among the more important publications that contain a bio-bibliographical notice are: Alegambe, Philippus S.J., Bibliotheca Scrtptorum Societatis Jesu (Antwerp: Joannes Meursius, 1643), pp. 265–266 Google Scholar; Sotuellus, Nathanaelis (Southwell), S.J., Bibliotheca Scriptorum Societatis Jesu (Rome: Typographia Iacobi A. de Lazzaris Varesii, 1676)Google Scholar; Sommervogel, Carlos S.J., Bibliothèque de la Compagnie de Jésus, vol. 6 (Brussels-Paris: Schepens-Picard, 1895),Google Scholar columns 885–886; Beristáin, José M. y Souza, , Biblioteca Hispano Americana Setentrional, 2 (2a ed., Amecameca: Tipografía del Colegio Católico, 1883), 432–433,Google Scholar or 3a ed. (México: Ediciones Fuente Cultural [1947]), no. 2419.

5 Bancroft Library, Berkeley, California: MM (Mexican Manuscripts) 268, folio 387v.

6 Sanctum / Provinciale Concilium Me- / xici celebratum Anno Dni. Milles.mo / quingentess.mo octuagessimo quinto. / Praesidente in eo lll.mo ac Rmo / D. D. Petro Moya de Con- / treras Archiep. Mexicano. / Romae / Confirmatum die vigessima / septima Octobris anno 1589. / Nunc vero ad instantiam / et ex sumptibus lllmi ac / R.mi D. D. loannis de la / Serna Archiep. Mexican. / lussu Regio editum / Samuel Stradanus Antverpien- / sis Sculpsit. / Excudebatq. Mexici / Apud Ioannem Ruiz Typographum. Anno Domini, 1622. On this and other editions of the 1585 Council see Streit, Robert O.M.I., Bibliotheca Missionum, 2 (Aachen: Xaverius-Verlagsbuchhandlung A.-G., 1924), 427–428.Google Scholar

7 Doctrina Christiana con una exposición breve, compuesta por el Maestro Hieronymo de Ripalda de la Compañía de lesús (Burgos: Philippe de Iunta, 1591), reprinted by Sánchez, Juan M. Doctrina Christiana del P. Jerónimo de Ripalda e intento bibliográfico de la misma, años 1591–1900 (Madrid: Imprenta Alemana, 1909).Google Scholar

8 The letter requesting the suppression of the Society of Jesus is found in the Museo Nacional of Mexico City, Colección Antigua, ms. 526, document 39, folios 301–312v. It begins: “Beatissime Pater. Patres in Concilio IV Provinciali Mexicano sub obedientia [folio 301v] Sanctae Matris Ecclesiae et Sedis vestrae apostolicae. …” It closes: “ Mexici, die vigessima tertia Octobris anni millessimi septuagessimi primi.”

9 The original documents discussing the relation to Ripalda are found in the same volume of the Colección Antigua, ms. 526, folios 314 and several unnumbered folios before folio 315.

10 Bancroft Library, MM 69, page 199, entry for July 27: “Entrose a las siete y media. Y dixo luego el Obispo de Campeche haver visto, como se le encargo el catecismo manual del Concilio Mexicano 3° e hizo de el un grande elogio. Despues el Obispo de Puebla encargado con el de lo mismo, leyo, el dicho catecismo con las leves correcciones que havian hecho en el, principalmente en quanto al frasismo; y, mientras su lectura, solo se hicieron una u otra breves reflexiones y algunas mas con el mismo catecismo, en el que solo se hizo una u otra ligera mutacion.” On pp. 72 and 188 of the same manuscript mention is made of the Bishop of Puebla’s preference for the Spanish original text of the acts of the III Council.

11 Museo Nacional, Coleccion Antigua, ms. 526, folios 314 and following (not numbered). Until Juan Sánchez published in 1909 a reprint of Ripalda’s 1591 catechism, it was thought that the 1616 edition was the first (see above, note 7).

12 In the Advertencia at the beginning of Cathecismo / suma / de la Doctrina Christiana / con declaracion de ella, ordenado / y aprobado por el III Concilio Pro- / vincial Mexicano, celebrado en la Ciu- / dad de Mexico el año de 1585 / Revisto, Aprobado / y dado a luz / Por el IV Concilio Provincial Mexica- / no celebrado en dicha Ciudad año de / /772 / Con Privilegio Real / Impreso en Mexico en la Imprenta de la Bi- / blioteca Mexicana del Lic. Josef de Jauregui en / la Calle de Sn. / Bernardo. This title is taken from the ms. copy of the printed edition, Bancroft Library MM 59.

This edition of the 1585 catechism became so rare that neither Beristáin nor Medina knew of its existence. Ramírez, José Fernando in his Adiciones a la Biblioteca de Beristáin, 1 (México: Imp. de V. Agüeros, 1898), 68–70,Google Scholar reprinted in Beristáin, op. cit., no. *84, seems to have been the first to list it. The volume is catalogued in de Cossío, Francisco González La imprenta en México (1553–1820), 510 adiciones a la obra de José Toribio Medina … (México: Universidad Nacional de México, 1952), pp. 243–244.Google Scholar Cossío did not succeed in finding a copy with the title page.

13 That is, the archbishop of Mexico and the six bishops of New Spain, see below, Document A.

14 Catecismo / para uso / de los Parrocos, / hecho / por el IV. Concilio / Provincial Mexicano, / Celebrado / año de M.DCC.LXXI. / (México: Imprenta de el Lic. D. Josef de Jauregui, 1772). This manual is not nearly as rare as the catechism for the laity; there are copies in the Bancroft Library, Carmel Mission, etc.

15 Ribadeneira, Petrus S.J., Illustrium Scriptorum Religionis Societatis Jesu catalogus (Antwerp: Ex officina Plantiniana Google Scholar; apud Joannem Moretum, M.DC.VIII).

16 See note 4; Alegambe, op. cit., p. 266: “ Concinnavit Concilii Mexicani iussu, Catechismum, quo rudimenta Christianae Religionis tenerae aetati traderentur.”

17 See note 4. The most important non-Jesuit bibliography that listed during the colonial period the writings of Father Juan de la Plaza was Antonio, Nicolás Bibliotheca Hispana sive Hispanorum qui usquam unquamve sive latina sive populari sive alia quavis lingua scripto aliquid consignaverunt notifia … 1 (Roma: Ex officina Nicolai Angeli Tinassi, MDCLXXII), 584.Google Scholar The wording is identical with that of Alegambe, op. cit., p. 266, and consequently does not indicate either which Mexican Council had ordered the catechism. Did none of those attending the 1771 Council think of identifying the catechism found among the acts with that written by Father Juan de la Plaza? The question is all the more to the point when it is recalled that the members of the catechetical commission consulted Nicolás Antonio, and even quoted him in their report to the Council (Museo Nacional, Colección Antigua ms. 526, the unnumbered leaves between folios 314–315). They must have been aware that the only Council held in Mexico during the years that the Jesuits were there (1572–1767) was that of 1585.

18 Very little study, however, would have been needed to establish this identity. Father Alegambe had merely failed to indicate which Mexican Council had ordered him to compose the catechism. With the removal of Jesuit books, there was little danger that many would have found at the time the reference to Alegambe. In the same way the verses interspersed in the IV Council’s catechism were taken from Ripalda without crediting him.

19 The 1622 and all subsequent editions of the acts of the III Mexican Council presuppose that the catechism ordered by the Council has been published and is available; see “ Libri Primi, Titulus I. De Doctrina Christiana ” (in the Lorenzana. edition, pages 7–12).

20 de Eguiara, Joannes Josephus et Eguren, , Btbliotheca Mexicana sive eruditorum historia virorum, qui in America Boreali nati, vel alibi geniti, in ipsam domicilio aut studiis asciti, quavis lingua scripto aliquid tradtderunt … (México: Ex nova Typo-graphia in aedibus Authoris …, MDCCLV).Google Scholar

21 See below, Document B.

22 See above, note 4.

23 Ramírez, op. cit., editions and pages as given in note 12.

24 González de Cossío, op. cit., p. 244.