Missionaries of Indians according to the First Three Councils of Lima
Missionaries of Indians according to the First Three Councils of Lima

Summary/Abstract: During the conquest and colonization of Spanish America, the Catholic Church had at least two different ways of ordering: a) the Spanish Church and b) the missionary Church. There was a clear difference between them, ranging from the ethnic groups among and for whom they worked, the methods of pastoral work, the style of liturgy, the content of catechesis, church laws, and even the identity of the priests who were to be chaplains of only one of these communities. Almost from the very beginning of the institution, the Catholic Church in the New World had the ability to differentiate its apostolic activity depending on the ethnic group that constituted it. It was relatively easy to implant the Spanish Church in the American colonial cities. However, building a new Church - a missionary Church - required the creation of a new modus operandi for its apostolic activity. Missionary work among the Indians could not be entrusted to any priest or brother who felt called to take action among the Indians, but to monks and priests specially selected to live among the native population and prepared differently from the secular clergy. The first three Synods of Lima and their parallel Synods in Mexico raised this issue in several of their sessions. In the article, I try to present the Indian missionaries of that time, who, although they often had imperfections and mistakes, were able to fulfill the mission with logic and apostolic courage, following the instructions of the synods.

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