Statement of Matías López del Castillo to the Inquisition, 1626

Matías López del Castillo made two statements to the Inquisition on 27 January 1626. The first statement concerned accusations of heresy against Governor Juan de Eulate that he had heard through town gossip. It’s remarkable that Benavides saw fit to document such hearsay, though perhaps his intention was to find corroborating witnesses. In the second statement, Matías said that he was a member of the thirty-odd group of soldiers who had gone on the Jemez campaign during Lent in 1623, confirming Juan Frescos’ account from that morning that a number of soldiers had eaten meat—naming Governor Eulate, Pedro Durán de Chávez, Tomás de Albizu, Antonio Baca and Sebastián González.

Matías’ second statement, given on the same day, concerns an incident involving Friar Andrés Suárez, who had apparently refused to say Mass because he thought that the governor, who was under excommunication, might attend. During his recounting, Matías cast aspersions on Diego de Vera, revealing that he had heard (from someone, but he could not remember who, or perhaps he simply did not want to reveal who had told him) that the Canary Islander’s aunt had been imprisoned by the Inquisition.

It is likely that Benavides collected the statements in one sitting, but recorded them in separate places in his notebook, as the first statement had to do with accusations against Eulate while the second statement dealt with accusations against Diego de Vera. The first statement was recorded on folios 266r-266v while the second statement was recorded on folio 307r. A paleographic transcription of Matías’ testimony in Spanish is available in the Cibola Project’s “Cross vs. Crown in New Mexico, 1626.”

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First Statement of Matías López del Castillo to Friar Alonso de Benavides

27 January 1626

Santa Fe

In the town of Santa Fe, on the 27th day of the month of January, in the year 1626, in the afternoon, before Father Friar Alonso de Benavides, Commissary of these provinces of New Mexico, there appeared, without being summoned, and swore formally to tell the truth, a man who said his name was Matías López del Castillo, resident of this town and widower in it, about thirty-five years old, more or less, who, for the discharge of his conscience, declares and denounces that today, on this very day, his mother-in-law named Ana de Bustillos, a resident of this town, told him that Alférez Pedro Márquez, a resident and criollo of this town, had said that Don Juan de Eulate, who had just served as governor, during his time in office had said that the cross of Christ Our Lord was not to be adored.

And that yesterday afternoon this declarant heard Captain Juan Gómez, interpreter, say that Don Juan de Eulate, passing by a place where there was a cross which at the time had no arms, and as he passed, some people removed their hats, and Don Juan de Eulate asked to whom they were removing their hats. They answered that it was to the cross, to which he replied that that was not a cross but a stick. And they responded that because it had been a cross, they removed their hats. He then said that reverence was not owed to that stick—that what once was but no longer is, is as if it had never been—and that where there is no form, there is no substance.

And this declarant said that Captain Juan Gómez also said that on that occasion Don Juan de Eulate had said that the cross of Christ Our Lord deserved greater adoration than Our Lady the Virgin. And this declarant also says that he has heard it said, that it is publicly known and common knowledge, though he cannot recall any specific person who said it, that Don Juan de Eulate had once stated that a very well-educated man (docto) in his homeland had said that the persons of the Holy Trinity were four. And afterward, someone told this declarant—he believes, if memory serves, that it was the said Captain Juan Gómez—that what Don Juan de Eulate had said regarding this matter was a false argument.

Likewise, this declarant says it is publicly known and common knowledge that Don Juan de Eulate used to say that the married state was more perfect than the religious state. But this declarant says he does not recall hearing it from any specific person he can name, nor from Don Juan de Eulate himself. And that many other things he has heard in a vague and confused manner, though he does not remember them now. And that this is the truth under the oath he has taken. And when his statement was read back to him, he said it was well written, and he promised secrecy and said he had not said it out of hatred, and he signed it with his name.

Friar Alonso de Benavides {rubric}   Matías López              Witnessed by

Commissary                                         del Castillo {rubric}  Friar Pedro de Ortega {rubric}

                                                                                                    Notary

After the aforementioned declarant had signed, he immediately recalled that while traveling in the company of about thirty soldiers with Don Juan de Eulate, who was then governor, on a campaign to punish the Jemez Indians, about two and a half years ago, it was publicly known and common knowledge throughout the kingdom, and very well known, that the said Don Juan de Eulate and his companions—who were Pedro Durán de Chávez, Maese de Campo of these provinces, who at the time was Sergeant Major, and Captain Tomás de Albizu, a resident of this town—ate meat during Lent. And that one or two times, Captain Antonio Baca and another soldier named Sebastián González, both residents of this town, also ate meat. And that the rest of the people in the kingdom did not eat it. And that this is the truth, according to the oath he has taken, and he signed it.

Friar Alonso de Benavides {rubric}   Matías López              Witnessed by

Commissary                                         del Castillo {rubric}  Friar Pedro de Ortega {rubric}

                                                                                                 Notary

Second Statement of Matías López del Castillo to Friar Alonso de Benavides

27 January 1626

Santa Fe

In the town of Santa Fe, on the 27th day of the month of January in the year 1626, in the afternoon, before Father Fray Alonso de Benavides, Commissary of the Holy Office of these provinces of New Mexico, there appeared, without being summoned, and swore in proper form to tell the truth, a man who said his name was Matías López del Castillo, about thirty-five years of age more or less.

He stated that about a year ago, more or less, while in the sacristy of this convent of San Francisco in this town, some persons arrived on behalf of the governor, who at the time was Don Juan de Eulate, approaching Father Fray Andrés Suárez, who had left the altar before saying Mass because he did not want someone [most likely the governor] who was excommunicated to hear Mass. These messengers told him, on behalf of the governor, that he should say Mass and he [the governor] would not come to disturb them. When the said father replied that he was only coming to say Mass and to say what was fitting for them, present at the time was one Diego de Vera, an islander, married and a resident of this town. The declarant does not recall who exactly said it, but he was told that Diego de Vera was the nephew of a woman who had been imprisoned by the Inquisition, and so the said Diego de Vera raised suspicion in the mind of this declarant by saying on that occasion that foolish things were being said at the altar, or that the altar was no place for nonsense. This declarant told him to watch what he said, and does not remember how Diego de Vera responded. The declarant further stated that Diego de Vera has a reputation for saying foolish things regarding matters of the Church, for which reason the declarant heard Father Fray Asencio de Zárate, then Vice-Custodian of this Custody, say that someday he would have to question him [Diego de Vera] on his prayers. And that this is the truth, according to the oath he has made, and having it read aloud to him, he said it was well written, that he had not said it out of hatred, promised secrecy, and signed his name.

Friar Alonso de Benavides {rubric}   Matías López              Witnessed by

Commissary                                         del Castillo {rubric}  Friar Pedro de Ortega {rubric}

                                                                                                 Notary

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Sources: 

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. 266r-266v, (Images 83391, 83392); Expediente 113, fol. 307r (Image 83673)

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