Mortal danger - 1511
Old map of the island of Hispaniola.
Introduction
The Spaniards who conquered the Caribbean and operated plantations with Native American labor were wanton in their destruction of human life, and perpetrated terrible cruelties to get gold or to revenge slight wrongs. Most priests were silent to these abuses but a few Dominicans were outraged. One of them, Antonio de Montesinos, entered a pulpit in Hispaniola on this day, 21 December 1511, to warn his listeners of their spiritual peril. The hardened men rejected his words and demanded a retraction. However, the Dominican prior, Pedro de Cordoba, followed Montesinos’ sermon with the threat of excommunication for all encomenderos (plantation operators) who did not free their Indians. Here is part of Montesinos’ sermon:
Quote
“I have climbed to this pulpit to let you know of your sins, for I am the voice of Christ crying in the desert of this island, and therefore, you must not listen to me indifferently, but with all your heart and all your senses.... This voice tells you that you are in mortal sin; that you not only are in it, but live in it and die in it, and this because of the cruelty and tyranny that you bring to bear on these innocent people.
“Pray tell, by what right do you wage your odious wars on people who dwelt in quiet and peace on their own lands? [By what right have you] destroyed countless numbers of them with unparalleled murders and destruction? Why do you oppress and exploit them, without even giving them enough to eat, or caring for them when they become ill as a result of your exploitation? They die, or rather, you kill them, so that you may extract and obtain more and more gold every day....
“Are they not human? Have they no souls? Are you not required to love them as you love yourselves? How can you remain in such profound moral lethargy? I assure you, in your present state you can no more be saved than Moors or Turks who do not have and even reject the faith of Jesus Christ!”
González, Justo L. “Lights in the Darkness.” http://www.ctlibrary.com/ch/1992/issue35/3532.html.