Letter of May 19, 2006

Sainthood Sought For Las Casas (+1566)
‘Conscience Of The New World’
Part Two
Most Reverend Carl F. Mengeling, Bishop of Lansing

The first conversion of the priest, Bartalome de Las Casas happened as he listened to the fiery sermon on December 21, 1511. It was delivered by Friar Antonio de Mantseinas in Hispaniola. On behalf of the native Indians he denounced the land-grant system in which natives were slaves. Within several years, Las Casas renounced ownership of Indians. He later wrote "blinders fell from my eyes and I saw everything clearly."

In 1515 he returned to Spain with Fray Mantesinas. They convinced King Ferdinand (+1516) to resolve the abuses of the Spanish conquest. After the King’s death, he pressured the Regent, Cardinal Ximenes, what gave him the title ‘Protector of the Indians’. When Ximenes died in 1517, Las Casas lobbied Charles V (+1558). The Emperor approved his proposal that new lands be colonized by farmers, not soldiers.

In 1520 Las Casas returned to Hispaniola. His second conversion came in 1522 when he entered the Order of St. Dominic. As the Dominican Vicar of Guatemala he participated in the Conference of Bishops in Mexico in 1536.

With Bishop Zumarraga of Mexico City (of Guadalupe fame) and others, petitions were formulated and sent to the Pope. This was Pope Paul III who reigned from 153401549. From these petitions he issued a Papal Letter on June 2, 1537. This landmark decree is titled ‘Sublimis Deus’ (Sublime God).

Here are significant segments: "The Indians are truly men and they are not only capable of understanding the Catholic faith but, according to our information, they desire exceedingly to receive it".

"They said Indians and all other people who may later be discovered by Christians, are by no means to be deprived of their liberty or the possession of their property, even though they be outside the faith of Jesus Christ".

"They may and should, freely and legitimately, enjoy their liberty and the possession of their property, nor should they in any way be enslaved".

He returned to Spain in 1540 to seek further royal protection of the native Amer-Indians. He persuaded the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V to protect the Ameri-Indians, by royal decree. ‘New laws of the Indies’ was enacted in 1542. These laws:

1. Forbade all enslavement of native people.

2. Forbade forcing Indians to labor against their will.

3. Revoked all encamiendas (land grants) in which Indians were 
    held as slaves and placed them under protection of the Crown.

4. All encamiendas were to be phased out. New ones
    were forbidden.

5. Indies people were to be treated well.

On March 31, 1544, Las Casas was consecrated bishop in Seville. He became the first bishop of Chiapa in southern Mexico. He returned to the New World in 1545, as bishop of Chiapa. Forty five Dominican friars came with him.

Confronted with hatred for the New Laws, vicious opposition and threats to his life, he was resident bishop for nearly one year. With the bishops in Mexico City he convinced the authorities to proclaim ‘pro-Indian statements’. He returned to Spain in 1547 and resigned as bishop of Chiapa. His detractors and his counter-attacks led to the great public debate at Valladolid from 1550-1551. The debate between Las Casas and Sepulneda was before fourteen judges. In the presence of the King, Las Casas defended the natives against enslavement which Sepulneda supported. No verdict was given, but the principles of Las Casas continued in practice.

In his last years, he resumed his three volume ‘History of the Indies’ which he completed two years before his death.

Shortly before death, he wrote to a brother Dominican, Pope Pius V (+1572). This pope was canonized in 1712. Las Casas begged him to condemn conquest as a means of conversion.

He died in Madrid on July 18, 1566 at age 82. His last words were that he was faithful for fifty years to the mission God laid on him for the restoration of lands and liberty to the Indians.

During the commemoration of the 500th Anniversary of Columbus’ discovery, 1492-1992, a distinguished American wrote about our Spanish legacy. He is Stewart Udall of Arizona, member of Congress and Secretary of the Interior under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson from 1961-1969.

In his book of 1987, our Spanish legacy he asks: "Here are some of the questions we might ponder as we prepare to celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the discovery of the New World.

Where, in the 48 contiguous states, do Indians today occupy the same native ground (not merely a remnant of it) that was their homeland when the first explorers came to this continent? And how many of these Indians are situated in regions originally settled by Spaniards?

In what region did Europeans make - and keep - agreements that defined the land rights of Indian tribes?

In which part of the United States did Europeans decide Indians were "savages" they could not live with and adopt a "removal" policy that forced natives to leave their homelands?

In which sections of this country were "Indian wars" organized to drive out - or exterminate - Indians?

Which Europeans crushed Indian religion and culture as "barbaric"? And which tolerated Indian beliefs and allowed natives freedom to continue their own religious practices?

Which Europeans intermarried with Indians? And which valued ethnic purity and considered natives inferior human beings?"

Las Casas struggled for the native peoples (Ameri-Indians) in the Spanish New World.