Statement of Friar Perea to the Inquisition, 1626

The first witness to make a statement before Friar Alonso de Benavides was Friar Esteban de Perea, on 26 January 1626, just one day after the Edict of the Faith had been read in Santa Fe. Perea had first arrived in New Mexico with Governor Peralta in early 1610 and was an eyewitness to the tumultuous relationship between Peralta and the Franciscan Custodian at that time, Friar Isidro Ordóñez. Perea had later served as the Custodian of New Mexico as Ordóñez’s successor and was a steadfast champion for the rights of the church and its mission to establish and maintain the Catholic faith in the province.

The arrival of the Inquisition was the culmination of years of advocacy by Perea. He had sent several appeals to the Holy Office of the Inquisition in Mexico City describing the disputes between civil and ecclesiastical authorities and in August 1621 had even gone so far as to publish a decree against heresy that was viewed as a direct challenge to Governor Eulate. Therefore, it is no surprise that Perea was eager to make a formal statement to Benavides—the first prelate vested with the power of the Inquisition in New Mexico—as a first step toward seeing the enemies of the Church punished.

By today’s standards, most of Eulate’s statements and actions seem rather tame, but aroused strong passions among the clergy who were working so diligently on converting the Pueblo natives. Most of Father Perea’s complaints focused on Eulate, but he also denounced Captain Álvaro García Holgado, former Governor Bernardino de Ceballos and Captain Juan Gómez de Luna. In addition to his oral testimony, he provided Benavides with written testimony that he had begun gathering in 1621 after publishing the decree against heresy already mentioned. One interesting feature of this testimony (and all the other statements recorded by Benavides in 1626) is that they are original manuscripts, containing the actual signatures of those giving statements.

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 Statement of Friar Esteban de Perea to Friar Alonso de Benavides

26 January 1626

Santa Fe

In the town of Santa Fe on the 26th day of the month of January in the year 1626, in the afternoon, at the convent of San Francisco of the said town, before Father Friar Alonso de Benavides, Commissary of the Holy Office of these provinces of New Mexico, there appeared—without being summoned and having sworn in proper form, with his hand placed on his chest in verbo sacerdotis (by the word of the priest) that he would tell the truth—Father Friar Esteban de Perea, priest, preacher and former Custodian of these provinces, more than 60 years old, who, in order to relieve his conscience, says and denounces that approximately five years ago, more or less, while he was serving as prelate, as mentioned, and ordinary judge, he became aware that certain persons, with little fear of God, had spoken many offensive, erroneous, suspect, scandalous, and heretical words, in great offense to God Our Lord and in contempt of His Church and its ministers, and contrary to the humble and filial obedience owed to the Holy Roman Church. Seeing the harm this caused both to the newly planted faith among the converts and to the other faithful Spaniards—who, being ignorant people, might be misled—in order to prevent such damage, as the ecclesiastical ordinary judge that he was, he saw fit to publish and read publicly in church, and post on its doors, a general edict against such propositions, to which he refers, and which, in my presence, the undersigned notary, he presented to the said Father Commissary, in whose custody it now remains. He also initiated an investigation, which he likewise delivered to the said Father Commissary, and whose writ and the opening of proceedings is as follows.

Friar Esteban de Perea of the Order of Minor Friars of my father San Francisco, Custodian of this Custody of New Mexico, apostolic legate and its ordinary judge, etcetera. Whereas it has come to my attention that in the town of Santa Fe and outside of it, in its district, many offensive, erroneous, suspect, scandalous, and heretical words have been spoken, in great offense to God Our Lord and in contempt of His Church and its ministers, and contrary to the humble and filial obedience that is owed to the Holy Roman Church, such evil increasing day by day, with these things and propositions being taken as lawful and just, impressing them upon the hearts of the simple and uneducated, to the notable harm of souls, both of the old Christian Spaniards and of the recently converted natives, regarding all of these matters, this declarant refers to the said investigation and to the witnesses who confirmed them.

Likewise, that it has been about five years, more or less, since Alonso Gutiérrez, soldier and resident of this town of Santa Fe, swore in proper form before this declarant, being then ordinary judge, that he had often heard Captain Álvaro García, resident of this town of Santa Fe and married therein, say that the state of married men was better than that of religious men. Also, on that occasion, Captain Juan López Olguín, likewise a resident of this town, lawfully stated another remark against Admiral Bernardino de Ceballos, then-governor (now deceased), both of which statements he originally delivered to the said Father Commissary.

Likewise, he says and denounces that about a year ago, more or less, this declarant wrote to Father Friar Martín de Arvide, in which letter he informed him that Don Juan de Eulate, then governor of these provinces, had said that the Holy Cross was not to be worshiped. And the said Father Friar Martín, a religious priest of this Custody and then guardian of the convent of Santo Domingo, wrote back to this declarant stating that Don Juan de Eulate had made that remark in the presence of Maese de Campo Pedro Durán de Chávez, a resident of this town of Santa Fe, and of Alférez Pedro Márquez and Captain Juan Rodríguez Bellido. These two letters he presented to the said Father Commissary.

Likewise, he submitted another handwritten letter from Father Pedro Zambrano, priest, written on behalf of Friar Pedro de Vergara, lay brother, in which they denounce and declare certain erroneous and suspect matters against Captain Juan Gómez, interpreter and resident of this town.

Likewise, this declarant denounces and states that about three or four years ago, on the feast day of Santiago, while in the orchard of San Francisco de Sandia, Father Friar Gerónimo de Zárate, priest and guardian of the Jémez of this Custody, told this declarant that, while in Zacatecas with Captain Juan Gómez and with a cleric, uncle of the same Juan Gómez, named Mateo de Luna, around 20 May 1621, more or less, the said Captain Juan Gómez said that the married state was more perfect than that of religious life. And on another occasion, after they had arrived in these provinces, while in the convent of San Antonio de la Isleta during Carnival of the year 1622, in the presence of the said Father Friar Gerónimo de Zárate and of Father Fray Juan de Salas, guardian of that convent, and Father Friar Francisco Fonte, guardian of [name is obscured by fold of page], and of Captains Alonso Ramírez and Juan López Mederos and their wives, the said Captain Juan Gómez said that he preferred the king over the pope. All of this was related by Father Friar Gerónimo de Zárate to this declarant on two occasions—once at the well of the convent, as mentioned, and the other time the next day, on the feast of Santa Ana, July 26th, in this declarant’s cell, in the presence of Fray Alonso de San Juan, lay brother of this Custody.

Likewise, this declarant says that on 24 November 1622, while he was in his convent and cell at San Francisco de Sandia, a Spaniard named Don Juan de Escarramad, a resident of this town, arrived there. Among other things, he told this declarant how unruly the Indians of the pueblo of Taos had become due to the favor shown to them by Governor Juan de Eulate, and that the Indians of the pueblo told the said Don Juan de Escarramad that the governor, Juan de Eulate, had said to them that if they wanted to be baptized, they could be baptized, and if not, then not to bother, and that they should not do what the father told them. And that if the priest or the Spaniard who was there with him as part of the escort scolded them, they should let him know so that he would immediately have him removed from there.

Likewise, this declarant says that about three or four years ago, more or less, while he was at his convent in Sandia, Captain Asencio de Archuleta, now deceased, who at the time was syndic of this Custody, arrived there and told this declarant that while Governor Don Juan de Eulate was at the convent in the town of Santa Fe, in conversation with Friar Bernardo de Aguirre, who was then the guardian of that convent, regarding certain individuals who had preceded them, the said guardian friar said, “Your Lordship, take note that Friar Gerónimo speaks the truth,” to which the said Governor Don Juan de Eulate responded, “I speak as much truth as Friar Gerónimo, and even as much as Saint Gerónimo!” The said Friar Bernardo is now in the Province of the Holy Gospel in Mexico.

And likewise, this declarant said that Friar Pedro de [Haro], guardian of the convent of San Francisco de Nambé of this Custody, told him that a Spanish soldier named Lucas de Figueroa, a resident of this town, had told him that he had heard Captain Álvaro García, also a resident of this town, say that Governor Don Juan de Eulate claimed that the prelate of these provinces had no authority to excommunicate anyone without his permission. And that the same Lucas de Figueroa told the said Friar Pedro de Haro that Governor Don Juan de Eulate had said he had no need to pray or commend himself to God, for our mother the Church prayed for him. And that these same statements were also reported to this declarant by a Spanish soldier from this land named Juan Donaire de las Misas, who said he had heard them from the same governor that neither the king, nor the viceroy, nor ministers of justice prayed or had any need to pray.

Likewise, Friar Gerónimo de Zárate told this declarant that the said Governor Don Juan de Eulate publicly stated to the soldiers that any man who served under the Order of San Francisco would be his enemy unto death. And this declarant also said that the same Friar Gerónimo de Zárate, guardian of the convent of the Jémez of this Custody, told him he had heard Friars Cristóbal de Quirós, guardian of San Felipe, and Pedro Zambrano, guardian of Galisteo of the Custody, say that it was publicly known that the said governor claimed that a third of soldiers with which he served in Flanders had impregnated two hundred and eighty cows, and that the cows had given birth to the soldiers’ offspring—for which reason His Holiness ordered that no one eat beef, because the cows bore soldiers’ offspring.

And this same story was told to this declarant by Captain Francisco Pérez Granillo, bleeding [his heart out] to this declarant, who said he had heard it from the same governor.

Likewise, the said Friar Zárate had said that the governor stated he would not guide his children to take up ecclesiastical orders but rather to the secular [path], as he thought it better. And this declarant says it is common knowledge and publicly known that the said Don Juan de Eulate is an enemy of the affairs of the Church and has always persecuted its devotees, directing all his words toward mockery and insult of ecclesiastics. And that if the king were to command him to arrest the Archbishop of Toledo, he swore to God and raised his staff saying he would arrest him, because on all occasions, what the king commands must be done.

And having ordered the hanging of a resident of this town named Juan de Olivera solely for having helped to close the church door at the time when Mass was about to be said, he [the governor] declared, since the man had already died, “that makes you the sacristan and doorman,” because he [the governor] was at that moment excommunicated.[1] This is known by Captains Juan de Vitoria Carvajal and Juan Gómez, interpreter and residents of this town.

All these things, this declarant says he reveals and denounces to the degree previously stated (and that he found out about them both through investigations he carried out and through reports and information that, as prelate, were brought to him) both in order to remedy and punish what pertained to his office, and to give notice to the Holy Office of matters concerning the Holy Tribunal, which he did, and now once again does, delivering, as he did, to the said Father Commissary all the aforementioned original documents. And that this is the truth, according to the oath he has taken, and upon being read this declaration, he said it was well written, and that he does not say it out of hatred. He promised secrecy and signed it with his name.

Fray Alonso de Benavides {rubric}             Fray Esteban                Witnessed by,

Commissary                                                  de Perea {rubric}        Fray Pedro de Ortega {rubric}

                                                                                                                  Notary

[1] The meaning of this is not clear since part of the context of this story is missing. In another part of the document that describes the same incident, when Eulate received word that Juan de Olivera had died, he was with Father San Buenaventura at the church and it seems this is what he told the priest, who then closed the door of the church. Essentially, he was telling the priest that he would now have to be the sacristan and doorman. The incident illustrated how callous Eulate could be. The fact that Eulate was under excommunication at the time is not entirely relevant to the incident itself.

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Sources:

France V. Scholes, “The First Decade of the Inquisition in New Mexico,” New Mexico Historical Review, Vol. 10, No. 3, 1935.

France V. Scholes, “Church and State in New Mexico 1610-1650,” New Mexico Historical Review, Vol. 11, No. 1, 1936.

Viridiana Rivera Álvarez and Jerry R. Craddock, “Cross vs. Crown in New Mexico, 1626” UC Berkeley Research Center for Romance Studies, Cibola Project, 2019. Available at: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0xq1g5b3

Archivo General de la Nación

Inquisición, Volumen 356, Expediente 107, fol. 260r-260v, 264r-264v (Images 83375, 83376, 83387, 83388)

Available at: https://repositorio.agn.gob.mx/