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    Evangelization Without Freedom?: Bartolomé de Las Casas and Freedom

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    salomon46
    1) Las Casas' views on human freedom evolved over time, influenced by his experience as a Dominican and discussions with Cardinal Cisneros, who emphasized that the indigenous peoples were free. 2) He initially accepted the encomienda system of forced indigenous labor but later recognized it as unjust, arguing all people have freedom of faith and will by God's design. 3) By the end of his life, Las Casas advocated for absolute political freedom for indigenous peoples, including the freedom to choose their own sovereign, as derived from natural law and the law of nations.

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    Evangelization Without Freedom?: Bartolomé de Las Casas and Freedom

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    salomon46
    16 views2 pages
    1) Las Casas' views on human freedom evolved over time, influenced by his experience as a Dominican and discussions with Cardinal Cisneros, who emphasized that the indigenous peoples were free. 2) He initially accepted the encomienda system of forced indigenous labor but later recognized it as unjust, arguing all people have freedom of faith and will by God's design. 3) By the end of his life, Las Casas advocated for absolute political freedom for indigenous peoples, including the freedom to choose their own sovereign, as derived from natural law and the law of nations.

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    FradesEduardo-EvangelizationWithoutFreedom

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    1) Las Casas' views on human freedom evolved over time, influenced by his experience as a Dominican and discussions with Cardinal Cisneros, who emphasized that the indigenous peoples were free. 2) He initially accepted the encomienda system of forced indigenous labor but later recognized it as unjust, arguing all people have freedom of faith and will by God's design. 3) By the end of his life, Las Casas advocated for absolute political freedom for indigenous peoples, including the freedom to choose their own sovereign, as derived from natural law and the law of nations.

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    16 views2 pages

    Evangelization Without Freedom?: Bartolomé de Las Casas and Freedom

    Uploaded by

    salomon46
    1) Las Casas' views on human freedom evolved over time, influenced by his experience as a Dominican and discussions with Cardinal Cisneros, who emphasized that the indigenous peoples were free. 2) He initially accepted the encomienda system of forced indigenous labor but later recognized it as unjust, arguing all people have freedom of faith and will by God's design. 3) By the end of his life, Las Casas advocated for absolute political freedom for indigenous peoples, including the freedom to choose their own sovereign, as derived from natural law and the law of nations.

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    Evangelization without freedom?

    Bartolom de las Casas and freedom


    The child Las Casas received from his uncle Francisco in 1493 an indian slave. But when the Queen learnt that Columbus in 1499 had given an indian slave to each one of those coming in the two ships, who were around 300, there was a great anger, saying these words: What power has my Admiral to give away to anyone my subjects? And she ordered their immediate release and that they were sent back in the first ships or encounter death penalty. Las Casas had to obey the order; but he cannot explain why the order was not given before. He did not know the new confessor to the Queen, Francisco Jimnez de Cisneros, was who made her aware of the injustice towards the Indians. When years later, around 1515, Las Casas meets cardinal Cisneros, for years then ruler of Castile, he is just a young man 30 years old before a wise senator almost 80 years old. He tells us of this encounter with undisguised and healthy pride for having been highly esteemed by that great politician and religious man. He taught Las Casas to talk strongly about freedom. He himself emphasises this. He confesses that he did not dare say or touch, saying or mentioning or alleging freedom for the Indians (as if it was blasphemy or an absurdity) until one day, talking with the cardinal about the oppression and servility they suffered, and with what justice he strongly replied: with no justice; why? Are not they free? Our author comments that the cardinal had understood well the roots and foundations of the injustice the Indians suffered because many times in the cited preamble he called them free and affirmed this. The tone of this is still high for Las Casas. Las Casas mentioned among the qualities that the people who would go out for the sake of the Indians that they be Christian, religious, prudent and loving of justice, and compassionate towards the distress of the poor and the destitute; but does not mention freedom. With great honesty he confesses that he was part of the matter, as in a new and scandalous thing, step by step and like cowed, he

    Eduardo Frades
    Caracas, Venezuela

    128

    a) Starting from human freedom towards faith Las Casas reflection about human freedom started or matured when he became Dominican, and wrote De nico; well rooted in the irrevocable Christian idea of freedom of faith, as very well expressed by the genius of Agustin- nobody can believe if he does not want to. The same will be expressed three times in the Tratado comprobatorio; and in the Apologa and even in the De thesauris, since it is the last and immovable basis of all other anthropological ideas of freedom. From this sovereign freedom of human beings derives the creational fact of the submission of all other creatures to man as their purpose and to his advantage. On this point the theology of the admired Pseudo-Dionysius, the biblical data (Gn 1,26.28; Sal 8,8 and Dt 4,19) and the Aristotelian philosophy would agree: We are in some way the purpose of all things and we use all that exists as if they were for us. The coincidence of the Philosopher with the biblical and evangelical ideal of Las Casas may be more superficial than real; but for our author the data of faith is enough and from it he reads or interprets theologians and philosophers. Hence he will reach conclusions that Aristotle never reached or could never reach- and the genius of Tagaste never dared to reach. In the Octavo remedio, 1542, he wrote about the freedom of faith needed in those who will accept it and receive freedom of will, because God left it in the hands and free will of every one if he wished to receive it or not. And this is the goal of God and so it must be done, regulations and gospel and commandments there are and limits too, which God gave. From here the conclusion is that there is no power on earth which can curtail the freedom

    Translation by Alice Mndez

    thought many times that he had done well in setting the Indians free, taking them away from the devil; and to release in some way the oppression the Indians suffered, since that was great. He is contented with the liberation from slavery; there is still a long way to go for our priest.

    of human beings, if there is no fault to justify it, since freedom is the most precious and supreme thing within all the temporal goods of this world. Whatever is done contrary to this has no ethical or judicial value because it is a mutation of the state of freedom from servitude, which after death there is no worse harm. He adds other biblical texts which we now omit. The reason is the general and usual custom of the Divine Providence to govern its world, which is to move, decide and carry all things to his goals softly, with no violence, no grief (clearly referring to Sb 8,1 at least). And because among its characteristics, God has the unique Providence and particular care for men, created to his own image and likeness (here the quote in Gn 1,26.28 is evident), and he made them free and masters of their acts and of themselves, giving them freewill and free wills, which under no might or way can be forced, and believing is an act of will; therefore, the Infinite Goodness did not want that because of his holy faith (which he provided for the health and salvation of men and to perfect nature) his rule and natural and universal Providence would be broken. Year before, in the Octavo remedio he had already talked of Indians as born and created to the image and likeness of the Holy Trinity, all subject of God and redeemed with his precious blood, and who considers and never forgets not even one of them. The same strong biblical basis he is going to use in various occasions, like in the Tratado comprobatorio to prove the legitimate jurisdiction of indian kings, although unfaithful. On this occasion he adds from Gn 1,26; Dt 4,19 and Sal 8,8 a text from Pseudo-Dionisius: It must be recognised that God is just when giving each being what corresponds to its dignity, and save the nature of each thing in its order and worth. Be it the direct authorship of Las Casas De regia potestate, or not, the author quotes the same text of Dt 4,19 and argues in the same way, to talk about the goods called allodial or those which are not recognised but by God, because all that God created, he did to the service of all nations under the heavens. Still in the Doce dudas he will insist on this issue.

    indian freedom is on the occasion of the objections of Seplveda. While in the Treinta proposiciones he mentions as number XIX All kings and natural masters, cities, communities and peoples of the Indies are obliged to recognise as universal the Kings of Castille and as sovereign masters and emperors, after receiving our holy faith and baptism on their own and free will. On the other hand, in his Duodcima replica he states that if the Indians, already Christians, do not wish to receive that supreme master it does not mean war can be made on them And in this sense I understand and declare and limit the nineteenth proposition of my Thirty propositions On this recantation he will come back more forcefully en his treatise De thesauris, almost by the end of his life. From the creational anthropological roots follows the trunk of human freedom, the best good for human beings after life. Here we must quote the third principle, which is the primal freedom of any person and even of any thing: Every human being, every thing, every jurisdiction and every regime or domain, as well over things as over menare or, at least, are presumed to be free, if the opposite is not demonstrated. It is proved because from its origins all rational creatures are born free; and because in the same nature God did not make one slave of the other, but to all he gave identical discretion. The reason is that a rational creature (considered in itself) should not be subordinate to another, the same a man to another manBecause freedom is an inborn right in men from the principle of rational nature, and therefore a natural right and slavery is an accidental act, imposed by men by chance or unfortunately; but each being reaches its species according to what is per se, and not according to what is per accidens; and the same is applied to judgements over beings; therefore not being proven that someone or something is a slave, judgement should fall in favour of freedom and according to freedom. The freedom of the human being requests even greater areas of decision. Hence, in the Tratado comprobatorio we already find the idea of freedom to choose the sovereign. The reason is because the choice of kings and of those who would reign over b) Up to absolute political freedom of the peoples free people, belongs to those who will be reigned, When Las Casas is even more consistent about from natural law and law of nations, becoming sub(Pasa a la pgina 247)

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