The secularización of parishes in the archbishopric of Mexico: indian realities and political reasons, 1700-1749

Abstract

The present work must like objective resist the arguments set out in the meetings of Madrid in charge to discuss the situation of the regular clergy in Indians, previous to the real law of 1749 on secularización of parishes, with the reality of the same in the Mexican region. The meetings, composed by ministers of king and the archbishops of Mexico and Lima, had as it puts to demonstrate the necessity to separate of the parishes to the friars due to the relaxation of his votes and the independence that showed before any authority. However, the reality showed that from 1700, in the archbishopric of Mexico, their prelates had managed to hold to the friars in charge of the parishes of Indians. When comparing the arguments spilled in Madrid and the law of 1749 with the changes happened in the archbishopric of Mexico during first half of century XVIII it is clear that the measures decreed by Fernando VI on the Indian parishes obeyed mainly to external political reasons to the New Spain, than more internal.