Statement of Captain Pedro Márquez to the Inquisition, 1626

Captain Pedro Márquez testified against Governor Juan de Eulate to the Inquisition on 28 January 1626. He recounted an incident that took place about 1625 in which Eulate had said that adoration was not owed to the cross of Christ, only reverence, according to a book he had been reading and arguing about with Pedro Durán de Chávez. This appears to corroborate the earlier testimony of Matías López del Castillo, who had stated that he had heard about the episode from his mother-in-law Ana Pérez de Bustillos, who had heard if from Pedro Márquez. He also recalled how during Mass, Governor Eulate would frequently turn his head away from the host when it was elevated, showing his lack of devotion.

A paleographic transcription of Pedro’s testimony in Spanish is available in the Cibola Project’s “Cross vs. Crown in New Mexico, 1626.”

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Statement of Pedro Márquez to Friar Alonso de Benavides

28 January 1626

Santa Fe

In the town of Santa Fe, on the 28th day of the month of January in the year 1626, in the afternoon, before Father Friar 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 Alférez Pedro Márquez, a resident and married man in this town and one of its long-established settlers, about thirty-five years of age. He, for the discharge of his conscience, says and denounces that about a year ago, more or less, while this declarant was in the plaza of this town in conversation and in the company of Captain Alonso Varela, who at the time was secretary to the governor, and Captain Juan Rodríguez Bellido, all residents of this town, Don Juan de Eulate, who was then governor, approached them on horseback with a book in hand.

He asked those mentioned where Pedro Durán de Chávez was—who at that time was sergeant major and today is Maese de Campo of these provinces—to which they responded that they had not seen him. And Don Juan de Eulate said, “I am going to find him to tell him that adoration is not owed to the cross, only reverence, for this book says so,” and “he and I had been arguing about it.” Shocked by this statement, the people standing nearby heard this declarant respond, “Well, I have prayers to pray to and adore the cross, and that is how we are taught in church and hear it from the preachers.” To which Don Juan de Eulate responded again, “Adoration is not owed to it, only reverence, as this book says.”

Opening the book to find the passage in question, he could not find it, and so he left to go find Pedro Durán de Chávez to tell him. The men present also left in another direction, discussing the matter, frightened to have heard such a thing, though they did not believe it. And because of this, as well as the little devotion he shows when hearing Mass—since at the moment of the elevation of the Host, he does not look upon it but rather turns his head away—this declarant has a poor opinion of his Christianity. And this is also public knowledge and well-known. And this is the truth, according to the oath he has sworn. And when this statement was read to him, he said it was well written, and that he did not say it out of hatred. He promised secrecy and signed his name.

Friar Alonso de Benavides {rubric}    Pedro Márquez {rubric}        Witnessed by

Commissary                                                                                      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. 267v (Image 83394)

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