Bartolomé De Las Casas: Prophet of the New World

Author(s): Paul S. Vickery

Source: Mediterranean Studies , 2000, Vol. 9 (2000), pp. 89-102
Published by: Penn State University Press

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/41166913

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 Bartolomé De Las Casas:
Prophet of the New World

PaulS. Vickery

Sometime after 1527 a weary Dominican priest wrote, "What really

me to write this book was the great and desperate need of all Spain to have
and enlightenment on all things concerning the world of the Indian." Bec
the lack of this knowledge, he continued, "what damage, calamities, disrup
decimations of kingdoms, how many souls lost, how many unforgivab
committed, how much blindness and deadness of conscience." Furthermor
result of these failings, he prophesied, "what harms and evils have occurr
still each day happen to the kingdoms of Castile. I am very sure we will
know, nor be even able to estimate, until that great and final day of terr
judgment and divine justice...." Thus wrote Bartolomé de las Casas i
Prologue to his multi-volume work Historia de las Indias. x
Las Casas was one of the most influential men of sixteenth-century S
He also provoked much controversy. During the course of his life and
centuries that followed, Las Casas has been awarded many titles and called
many names. Among these are "reformer at the court of Spain, unsucces
colonizer in Venezuela, friar in Hispaniola, obstructor of wars he con
unjust in Nicaragua, fighter on behalf of justice for the Indians, promoter
plan to conquer the Indian by peaceful means alone, successful agitator at
court of Emperor Charles V on behalf of the New Laws, and Bishop of Ch
Others believe him to be creator of the Black Legend,3 and even the
conscience of Catholic Spain.4 Simón Bolívar called him "that frien
humanity." Others have viewed him as the "father of America," the unw

'Bartolomé de las Casas, Historia de las Indias, 3 vols., Augustin Millares Campo, éd. (
1951), 1: 13. Las Casas entered the Dominican Order in 1522 at the age of thirty-eight.
2 Lewis Hanke, Bartolomé de Las Casas, Historian (Gainesville, 1952), 2.
3Juan Comas, "Historical Reality and the Detractors," in Juan Friede and Benjamin Keen
Bartolomé de Las Casas in History: Toward an Understanding of the Man and His Work (
1971), 488.
4Lesley Byrd Simpson, The Encomienda in New Spain (Los Angeles, 1950), xi. Simpson quotes the
Congreso de Americanistas that met in Seville in 1935 and voted Las Casas "the authentic
representative of the Spanish conscience." Simpson concludes that Las Casas had very little impact
on changing the royal policies of the forced labor system.

89

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90 Paul S. Vickery

progenitor of today's Liberation Th

of Las Casas diagnosed him "a
appellations, I would like to add the
By Las Casas' s own account, since
the "darkness left his eyes," he
temporal physical preservation of
spiritual salvation of their souls. A
physical prosperity of the Spanis
eternal souls of those involved in th
In short, he prophesied both physic
heed his words. He did so unreserv
spiritually, to the preaching of that
adversaries, censures, intrigues, an
mindedness is reminiscent of tho
Israel and the Christian Church to
accept the consequences.
By examining certain Las-Casian
had a definite sense of his own call
biblical mode. Using both Scripture
these through his own experien
theological training, Las Casas deve
refined over the years. Through
fabric of his work, is the consisten
and those under its authority woul
nation did not repent of its policies
past atrocities. This is the classic m
for the life of Las Casas.8
By appealing to Scripture, the trad
as well as legal precedent, all of w
World experiences, Las Casas forced
the laws that were leading to the de

5 Anthony Pagden, "Introduction" to Barto

the Indies, translated by Nigel Griffin (New
6Ramón Menéndez-Pidal, El Padre Las Ca
one of Las Casas's most vitriolic critics wri
was he evil nor crazy, he was simply paranoi
7Venancio Carro, "The Spanish Theological-
Las Casas," in Friede and Keen, eds. Las C
experience in Historia, 2: 92-3.
8For a general overview of prophets and p
York, 1962), and William A. Van Gemeren, In
Prophetic Literature of the Old Testament (G

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 Bartolomé De Las Casas : Prophet of the New World 9 1

believed Christ had died. He prophetically warned the Crown of the impending
judgment of God should calls for change go unheeded, and that nation not alter
its colonial policies. Since the day of his own "conversion" or "awakening" and
concurrent change of heart and mind, when he recognized and repented of the
injustices of his own life and actions - which he considered representative of the
those of his native land - his thoughts, words and deeds were on behalf of his
beloved Indians.9
Las Casas fits the definition of the term "prophet" from both a secular and
theological perspective. The Greek word prophètes literally means "one who
proclaims or speaks for another."10 In classical Greek, this word meant a person
who interpreted the will of the gods to the general populace, one whom
individuals consulted about the specific intent of the gods in a given situation.
Their methods could involve listening to oracles, divining dreams, or making
sense out of chicken entrails. Prophets were able to state or present issues in a
clear way. They had the ability to articulate and clarify concerns of the day in
such a way that all could comprehend them. They not only defined the problem
but also gave specific solutions to the problem. The hearer then had the
prerogative of heeding the message or rejecting the prophet.11
The gift of prophecy in the New Testament is one way in which the Church
is built up or strengthened (Ephesians 5). This office has been present since the
inception of the Christian Church. The title also carried the connotation of one
who spoke on behalf of God and thereby interpreted the Word of God to a
specific people at a given time in history. In other words, the prophet made the
ancient Scripture relevant and understandable to those listening to it. During the
first centuries of the Christian Church, false and true prophets were judged by
the Church according to the consistency of their message with Scripture.
Prophets have held a respected office in the Church since the time of the Chief
Prophet - Christ Himself.12

9Some scholars, such as Manuel Giménez Fernández, Bartolomé de Las Casas: Delegado de
Cisneros para la Reformación de las Indias (1516-1517) (Seville, 1960), 50, consider this a "road to
Damascus" experience similar to that of Saint Paul. Others, such as Gustavo Gutiérrez, Las Casas:
In Search of the Poor of Jesus Christ (New York, 1993), 482, n.l, state that Las Casas continually
refers to this event as the "originating moment in his life," and labels this event a "prophetic call."
Marcel Bataillon, in Estudios Sobre Bartolomé de Las Casas (Madrid, 1976), 48, n.9, emphasizes
that Las Casas himself referred only to his decision to enter the Dominican Order as a "conversion."
Demetrio Ramos Perez, "La 'Conversion' de Las Casas en Cuba: El Clérigo y Diego Velazquez," in
Estudios Sobre Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas (Seville, 1974), 247-57, believes that this decision was
made over a period of months.
l0Geoffrey W. Bromiley, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, 1988), 953.
"Ibid., 954-7.
Ibid., 960-65. This discussion is also carried on in Isacio Pérez Fernández, "El perfil profético del
Padre Las Casas," Studium, 15 (1975): 281-359.

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 92 Paul S. Vickery

The Hebrew word for prophet

carries the connotation of an "aut
meaning not only of "forthtelling
as God, but also "foretelling" or p
only be a person with a clearly de
conform to the already revealed t
character and morality. The proph
as spokesperson and had a sure be
specific message to a particular pe
circumstance. The common deno
being chosen.13
The call of a prophet, according
come in a number of ways - thro
study, in conjunction with spe
occupations and backgrounds of th
received and understood their cha
outside the prophet, i.e. from God
message reflected the individual pe
culture to which it applied. The p
traditions, and even idiosyncrasies
Las Casas's prophetic call came
deliver a sermon for the Pentecost Service in 1514. His text came from the
apocryphal book of Ecclesiasticus, chapter 34. The verses that stuck in his mind
were:

Unclean is the offering sacrificed by an oppressor. Such mocke

not pleasing to God. The Lord is pleased only by those who kee
way of truth and justice. The Most High does not accept the gi
unjust people, He does not look well upon their offerings. Thei
will not be expiated by repeat sacrifices. The one whose sa
comes from the goods of the poor is like one who kills his neig

l3Laird R. Harris, ed. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, 2 vols. (Chicag
6.

l4David Atkinson, "Prophecy," Eerdman 's Handbook to Christian Belief, Robert Koeley, ed. (Grand
Rapids, 1982), 316-17. Concerning Las Casas, see also José Luis Espinel, "Aspecto profético de la
vida cristiana según el Nuevo Testamento," Ciencia Tomista, 98 (1971), 7-53. In sixteenth-century
Spain there were many, both men and women, who claimed prophetic insight. Richard L. Kagan, in
Lucrecia 's Dreams: Politics and Prophecy in Sixteenth-Century Spain (Berkeley, 1 990), describes
one such woman. Also, Keith Thomas, in Religion and the Decline of Magic (New York, 1 97 1 ),
covers this period in England. Although there were many who spoke in a prophetic manner
concerning the church and government in early modern Spain, Las Casas is unique in that his
prophecies continued for a lifetime, he spoke from an official position within the Catholic Church,
and he left a corpus of works that trace his development in the tradition of the biblical prophets.

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 Bartolomé De Las Casas: Prophet of the New World 93

The one who sheds blood and the one who defrauds the laborer are kin
and kind.15

As he reflected upon these words, he realized that all that the Spanish had done
to the Indians since their arrival in 1492 was unjust and tyrannical and thus
displeasing to God. Surely, God would intervene to punish the Spanish for their
actions. Previously, he too had been blind to the actions of his fellow colonists.
Even the fact that the Dominicans in the area refused to confess those who
utilized Indians for their own benefit had not convinced him of the truth.
Through the reading of the Scripture and meditation upon its significance, "the
darkness left his eyes." He then made the decision to preach his conclusions and
confront first the colonists, then the monarchy with the truth of his own
revelation and their sinfulness.16
The prime target of his attack was the Spanish use of the natives in the
encomienda system. He viewed this practice of "commending" the Indians to
the Spanish to be the root of all the evil perpetrated by the colonists. In theory,
the encomienda system was to benefit both the Indians and the Spaniards. The
Crown allotted land and Indians to work for the conquistadores as a reward for
their service to the nation. The Spaniards were to evangelize and lead the
Indians in Christianity. Unfortunately, the arrangement degraded into a system
of forced labor for the Indians with very little indoctrination, either by word or
example, in Christianity on the part of their overseers. Las Casas himself was a
part of this system.17 In 1513, because of his part in the "pacification" of Cuba,
Governor Diego Velasquez assigned him and a partner both land and natives to
work it near the port of Xagua.18
Las Casas quickly recognized that he could not prophesy destruction for
those involved in the encomienda system and still be a part of it. Even though he
treated "his" natives well, albeit paternalistically, the priest knew he must give
them up in order to live an ethically consistent life and escape the wrath of God.
Las Casas believed a prophet could not preach one thing, practice another, and

l5Las Casas, Historia, 2: 92-3. The scripture is from the apocryphal book of Ecclesiasticus, 34: 18
ff.

Las Casas, Historia, 5: 93. Chapters 7ö and /У contain the story ot his conversion or prophetic
call." Even Las Casas was refused absolution by a Dominican because of his participation in the
encomienda system. Giménez Fernández, Las Casas: Capellán de S.M. Carlos I, Poblador de
Cumaná (1517-1523) (Seville, 1963), 386, n. 1331, identified this priest as "most certainly being
Pedro de Córdoba."
l7Two excellent summaries of the encomienda system are, Silvio Zavála, La encomienda indiana
(Mexico, 1973), and Simpson, The Encomienda in New Spain.
Las Casas, Historia, 3: 545-6. Las Casas' s actual role in the "pacification" was probably limited to
priestly duties. In Bartolomé de Las Casas: The Only Way, Helen Rand Parish, ed. with Francis P.
Sullivan, trans. (Mahwah, 1992), 14, n. 12, Parish indicates there is no evidence that Las Casas,
either Bartolomé or his father, engaged in actual warfare in the New World.

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 94 Paul S. Vickery

retain credibility. He consistently b

thing but did another. By freein
demonstrated the reality of his fait
life. He wrote, "Such an action [giv
always the consummate proof
immediately began to warn others
writings.
Initially, Las Casas asked the Governor not to reveal his plans to give up his
Indians but to wait until he had spoken with his partner Pedro de Rentería.20
Subsequently, Las Casas made public his plans while preaching on the feast day
of the Assumption of Our Lady in the Cuban town of Sancti Espíritus. Through
this initial sermon, given soon after his prophetic call, the prophetic nature of his
message is revealed. Las Casas sets the tone for future writings - his emphasis
on both the practical and spiritual nature of the Gospel, his warning to those who
failed to heed his message, the need for consistency in word and deed, and the
call for restitution for past atrocities. In his Historia, Las Casas informs us of his
words to the congregation. "He [Las Casas typically refers to himself in the
third person] was explaining the contemplative and the active life, the theme of
the gospel reading of the day, talking about the spiritual and temporal works of
mercy." After declaring that he was going to make an announcement concerning
his setting free of the natives commended to him, Las Casas continued his
sermon,

he began to expose to them their own blindness, the injustices, the

tyrannies, the cruelties they committed against such innocent, such
gentle people. They [the hearers] could not save their own souls,
neither those who held Indians by allotment, nor the ones who handed
them out. They were bound by obligation to make restitution. He
himself [Las Casas] once he knew the danger of damnation in which he
lived, had given up his Indians, had given up many other things
connected with the holding of Indians.

Of course the reaction to the prophet's message was not positive. Las Casas
records that many were stupefied or believed they were having a bad dream.
They believed they could hold the Indians without sinning, and likened it to
making use of the beasts of the field. Las Casas labeled their reaction as

l9Las Casas, Historia, 3: 94.

Las Casas, Historia, 3:545-6. It is interesting that when Las Casas related how he and Rentería
received their allotment, Las Casas described himself as the businessman and Rentería as the
spiritual one.

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 Bartolomé De Las Casas: Prophet of the New World 95

"unbelievable."21 Although Las Casas wrote the Historia years after the e
he recorded occurred, the foundational and consistent message of the pr
obvious.
As Las Casas matured, so did his message. His early works demonstrate a
tendency toward vagueness and generalities. The more mature works, however,
become ever more refined, forceful and direct and there is no hint of ulterior
motivation. Foundational to all of Las Casas's writings is his desire to bring
liberty to the Indians while evangelizing them to the Christian faith. He believed
spreading the message of the Church was the overriding reason for the Spanish
presence in the New World.
On 23 January 1516, King Ferdinand died. Las Casas immediately met with
the regent, Cardinal Cisneros, and presented him with his first written proposal
for the salvation of his beloved Indians. This tract, Memorial de remedios, is
another indication of the budding prophet and his message. It is also where he
articulates his belief in the importance of evangelism. "The principal goal for
which all has been ordained," he wrote, "or could be ordained, and the prime
goal for which we must strive is the salvation of the Indians, which must be
effected through the Christian doctrine as His Highness commands."22 The
"principal end," as the priest called it, was the training in Christian doctrine. As
mentioned previously, this was the theory behind the Spanish system of land
acquisition and use, the encomienda system. Las Casas was always adamant that
the faith must be proclaimed in both message and witness. The unfortunate
result was that "the Spanish, to whom the Indians are commended, do not know
what to teach, and if some do know, because of the little charitable love they
have, do not demonstrate it, but are more concerned with getting rich than saving
souls."23 Las Casas closed this tract with an admonition. We might also note the
creeping sarcasm that characterized his writings:

I beseech your most reverend lordship, that you consider, as without a

doubt I know you will consider, that the first and last aim that must
motivate us is the remedy that those sad souls must be for God, and
how to attract them to heaven; because God did not redeem them nor
discover them so that they might be cast into hell, having no thought
for them but to acquire wealth. This does not seem unreasonable, let
alone a great burden.24

2 'Las Casas, Historia, 3: 95. This entire sermon is translated in Parish, ed., The Only Way, 191.
22Bartolomé de Las Casas, "Memorial de remedios para las indias" (1516), Opúsculos, cartas, y
memoriales. Obras escogidas de Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas, Juan Pérez de Tudela Bueso, ed., 2
vols. (Madrid, 1958), 1:20.
"Ibid.
24Ibid., 27.

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 96 Paul S. Vickery

In this tract Las Casas addressed

World. Were the Spanish concerned
of the Gospel? The companion of Co
the Aztec empire, Bernal Diaz de
succinctly when he wrote in his Tr
Spain, concerning the Spanish moti
here to serve God, but also to get
souls and mammon bedeviled the Sp
for the Indians, whenever there wa
any otherworldly concept of spiritu
out.26
Las Casas gave a second and more direct prophetic speech, probably in
1518, before the young King Charles. This dealt with Las Casas's plan to
establish a colony along the coast of present-day Venezuela, known as Tierra
Firme. His goal was to settle the area with priests and farmers instead of traders
or those who might exploit the Indians for profit. These farmers could both
teach and model Christianity to the Indians, and thus bring them willingly into
the Church. He also hoped miscegenation would occur as the Indians and
Spanish worked together.27 The first person to address the monarch concerning
this area was the Bishop of Darien, Juan Cabedo. His opinion was that the
Spanish arrived at the right time and were doing the right thing in the Indies. His
observation of the Indians of Darien as well as those on the islands he had visited
was that "those people are servile a natura and they hold in high esteem and
have much gold, which they work hard to obtain." He implied that because the
natives were by nature servile, the Spaniards had every right to take advantage of
them and use them for their own benefit.28 After Cabedo's observations, Las
Casas addressed the court.
Las Casas began by describing how the Indians died at the hands of the
Spanish. Either they were killed outright or they died by working in the mines.

25Quoted in Lewis Hanke, The Spanish Struggle for Justice in the Conquest of America (Philadelphia,
1949), 7.
26Simpson, Encomienda, 2.
27Las Casas, "Memorial de Remedios" (1518), Opúsculos, 35-9, contains his plan for Tierra Firme.
There is an interesting debate concerning the motivation behind Las Casas and his plan for Tierra
Firme. Marcel Bataillon, "The Clérigo Casas," in Friede and Keen, Las Casas in History, 406-7,
argues that Las Casas again became codicioso (greedy) in his plans. Less judgmental are Henry
Raup Wagner and Helen Rand Parish, The Life and Writings of Bartolomé de Las Casas
(Albuquerque, 1967), 62-3, who believe his motivation was correct but his judgment was poor.
Gutiérrez concludes his goal was evangelism above all else, In Search of the Poor, 54. In a well-
known passage of his Historia, 3: 308-9, that Gutiérrez labels "one of the most impressive passages
anywhere in his works," Las Casas admits to the "sale of the Gospel" if that is what is needed to
evangelize the natives.
28 Las Casas, Historia, 3: 341.

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 Bartolomé De Las Casas: Prophet of the New World 97

He then recounted his own eye-opening experience which brought him t

repentance and a change of mind and action. Furthermore, he renounced any
financial gain that the young king might assign to him and emphasized t
rational ability of the Native Americans to respond to the message
evangelism. Discounting Cabedo's assertion that the Indians were a natu
servile, he said, "Those Indian peoples . . . and the entire New World which is
füll of throngs of them, are supremely capable of the Christian faith, of all virtue
civilized behavior, tractable to both reason and revelation, and a natura f
peoples."29 The Catholic faith is a universal faith, an inclusive not exclus
Church, and is open to all regardless of their current knowledge. Las Ca
emphasized that teaching was needed to bring understanding to the pagans, w
were reasonable individuals.
In closing this speech, Las Casas aimed the full force of his prophetic
message at the monarch, as he gave him a specific directive from the Word of
God, and a veiled threat of what would occur in the future if he failed to heed the
message. "Therefore it is Your Majesty's role to root out, at the start of his
reign, the tyranny, monstrous and horrible before both God and the world, which
causes such evil, such irreparable harm," he thundered. Las Casas concluded in
the true nature of a prophet, "the damnation of a major part of the human race,
[remove it] so that the Royal Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for
these Indian peoples, might grow in length of days."30 By not stopping the
oppression, which was his responsibility as monarch and representative of God,
Charles was in danger of bringing many to damnation, both Spaniard and Indian,
and holding up the progress of the spread of God's Kingdom in the earth. In his
presentation to the Crown, Las Casas interceded, or spoke on behalf of, the
Indians and attempted to speak for God on their behalf. He also spoke for the
nation as he attempted to avert disaster for its sinfulness. After nearly a year of
waiting, Las Casas received the grant he sought to establish a community at
Cumaná along the Venezuelan coast.31
Although the experiment at Cumaná proved unsuccessful in establishing a
peaceful, non-violent agricultural community, the experience led Las Casas into
the Dominican Order. Las Casas blamed himself for the failure and believed he
needed a deeper commitment to God. He also desired the spiritual support of a
religious community. After study and reflection, Las Casas took the vows of the
Dominican Order in 1522.32 Perhaps because of his failure at Cumaná, perhaps
because he was getting older, or perhaps because he saw no change in the royal
policies, after 1522 his message became ever more direct and confrontational.

29Ibid., 3: 343.
30Ibid., 3: 344.
3lIbid., 3:361.
32Ibid., 3: 387.

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98 Paul S. Vickery

An example of this more confro

Entre los remedios, also known as
again expressed his love, concern, a
warned, however, that if the Indian
treasury would lose "riches and trea
vassals as well as the Spanish people
suffer loss and not be as powerful
prospered. Las Casas did not ques
opinion the Spanish had every leg
Spain and Christianity, however, m
worthy of respect and superior to
that Christianity, if taught and dem
peacefully and rationally, would
concern of Las Casas was that the I
be no one left to convert to the Ch
this tract that the colonists in t
retribution. This punishment would
of the destruction of the Indians, b
omission were just as damnable as s
After enumerating the complai
explaining why the emperor did no
who did not voluntarily submit to
them from this hated system, L
wrote that Charles could do a gre
Indies. If the monarch abolished th
Spanish] from the great sins of ty
they commit every day, oppressing
monarch had the responsibility to
and therefore free from the poss
emphasized the theme of restitution
its killing of innocent people, but
repaying the Indians for all they ha
the prophet warned it would bring
Spain." The inhabitants of the Old
committed by those in the New. En

"Bartolomé de Las Casas, "Entre los remedi

34Las Casas, The Only Way, 130. Las Casas i
interpret the text from Matthew 25. This sc
helps me [Jesus]." The one who helps the p
are damned, not for doing evil, but for not
In Search of the Poor, 63. Las Casas, The On
Las Casas, Opúsculos, 1 1 7a.

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 Bartolomé De Las Casas: Prophet of the New World 99

warning yet, Las Casas wrote, "and because of all these sins, and becaus
what I read in the Sacred Scripture, God must punish, with terrible retributi
and perhaps even destroy all of Spain."36 The entire nation must pay for th
monarch's refusal to heed the prophetic message.
For the first time the message of Las Casas became prophetic in the sense
prophesying destruction for the Spanish nation. The Spanish philolog
Menéndez Pidal, no friend of Las Casas, noted that, "in this tract he tells us
the first instance that this great accusatory message includes a prophetic aspe
it is the first time he threatens horrible punishment and perhaps comp
destruction of all Spain."37 The reason for this dire condemnation, accordin
Menéndez Pidal, is that Las Casas meditated much upon the Bible, espec
chapter 30 of the prophet Isaiah. In this chapter, Isaiah prophesied against t
who did not listen to the prophets, change their ways, and cease oppres
Judgment would come suddenly upon the unjust and totally destroy them.38
may have been the first time the message took on such drastic tones, but it w
not be the last.
Las Casas wrote another more controversial work in 1542, entitled t
Brevísima relación da la destrucción de las indias?9 This work was
published until 1552 but quickly had a profound effect upon the image of S
in the rest of the world, especially Protestant Northern Europe, which quic
publicized the atrocities of Catholic Spain. In this eye-witness account
relación, which Las Casas dedicated to Crown Prince Philip, the Domini
desired to shock the sensibilities of his readers and emphasized the Spa
slaughter of the Indians. In his introduction to the work Las Casas pronoun
biblical judgment upon those who had been involved in the exploitation of t
natives: "not a few of the people involved in this story had becom
anesthetized to human suffering by their own greed and ambition that they
ceased to be men in any meaningful sense of the term, ... so totally degener
and given over to a reprobate mind, they could not rest content."40 He
moved from the fate of the individual to prophesying about the nation.
The text of this brief work is a litany of the destruction of the Indians in
various areas conquered by the Spanish. His message is condemnatory
graphic in its descriptions of slaughter, starvation, and cruelties. What broke
Casas' s heart, however, was the lack of evangelism that had taken place and

36Ibid., 119a
37Menéndez Pidal, El Padre Las Casas, 328.
38Ibid.
39There are several modern translations of this work. I have used Nigel Griffin, A Short Account of
the Destruction of the Indies (London, 1992).
40Griffin, Short Account, 3. Note 1 informs us that the biblical indictment is from Romans 1: 28.
"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate
mind, to do those things which are not convenient."

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 loo Paul S. ViCKERY

attitude of the Indians toward Christi

wrote that the Spanish had no more int
Indians had been dogs or other animals
more idea of the Christian God than b
idea of whether He [God] is made of w
even referred to the Spaniards as yare
words.42 For this the Spanish Monarch
In the conclusion to the Brevísima
about the impending judgment of God
nation is to recognize its sinfulness, r
those wronged. Las Casas wrote, "I do
a divine punishment for sins against th
prophet now spoke directly and forcef
through divine mercy.
In 1556, Charles V abdicated and h
Spain. The encomenderos recognized Ph
but also the debts of his father. There
ducats to grant them permanent right
Casas heard of this possible deal and
Indians of Peru he made a counter-off
monarch more than the Spaniards had o
would pay him tribute on a permanent
In a Memorial to King Philip II, writ
reasons why the king should not take
of these reasons appeal to the financia
one Las Casas reverted to his prophetic
mortal danger of Philip. He wrote, "Th
reasons presented - Your Majesty has m
than any other king in the world right
many kings have had financial problem
money alone could not solve - especi
then spoke directly to the judgmental q
his words, "Your Majesty should be terr
unleash God's anger against his royal p
with the statement that the words he

4lIbid., 127.
42Ibid., 82.
43Ibid., 127.
Parish, The Only Way, 50-51. On Las Casas's plan see "Carta a Carranza," Opúsculos, 431b.
Las Casas, "Memorial-Sumario a Felipe II," Opúsculos, 460b.

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 Bartolomé De Las Casas : Prophet of the New World 1 0 1

searching out the truth, and, that he had always spoken the truth and was doing
so now.

As Las Casas neared the end of his life he reflected upo

achieved and what he had yet to do. About two years before hi
he wrote his Last Will and Testament. Within this document we catch the final
glimpse of what was significant to Las Casas at the end of his life. As a
spokesman for God, he believed he was compelled to speak and work on His
behalf without regard for personal consequences or reward. As a spokesman for
God, he did not consider himself responsible for the response of his hearers. The
choice was theirs to accept or reject his message. His role was to preach the
message; God would be concerned with the results. Each individual would bear
the results of his or her own deafness. To Las Casas, it was his prophetic call,
received when he was thirty years old, nearly fifty years prior to the writing of
this document, that gave meaning and focus to his life. At the end of that life he
emphasized and reiterated, now for the last time, how he had received the divine
commission.

What I say next I hold as certain doctrine, I judge it certain, it is what

the Holy Roman Church holds and values as a norm of belief for us.
All that the Spaniards perpetrated against those [Indian] peoples, the
robbery, the killing, the usurpation of property and jurisdiction, from
kings and lords and lands and realms, the theft of things on a boundless
scale and the horrible cruelties that went with that - all this was in
violation of the whole natural law, and a terrible blot on the name of
Christ and the Christian faith. It was all an absolute impediment to
faith, all a mortal damage to the souls and bodies of those innocent
peoples. And I think that God shall have to pour out His fury and
anger on Spain for those damnable, rotten, infamous deeds done so
unjustly, so tyrannically, so barbarously to those people, against those
people. For the whole of Spain has shared in the blood-soaked riches,
some a little, some a lot, but all shared in goods that were ill-gotten,
wickedly taken with violence and genocide - and all must pay unless
Spain does a mighty penance. And I fear it will be too late or not at all,
because there is a blindness God permits to come over sinners great and
small, but especially over those who drive us or are considered prudent
and wise, who give the world orders - a blindness because of sins,
about everything in general. But especially that recent blindness of
understanding which for the last seventy years has proceeded to shock
and scandalize and rob and kill those people overseas. A blindness that
is not even today aware that such scandals to our faith, such
defamations of it, such robbing and injustice and violence and slaughter
and enslavement and usurpation of foreign rule and rulers, above all

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 102 Paul S. VicKERY

such devastation, such genocide of

been monumental injustices [empha

The thread that runs throughout th

His interest was in stopping the slaug
them the Gospel message of the Chur
these goals, the nation that he repr
come into line with the will and Word of God. Las Casas knew God had
appointed him as the messenger to his nation on behalf of the Indians, and he
wholeheartedly gave himself to this task. Selections from his works after his
dramatic call in 1514 reveal his consistent, if ever more direct, message to the
monarchy that God's judgment was imminent to all who failed to heed his
words. Because of his words and actions, along with his other roles, Bartolomé
de Las Casas deserves the title of "Prophet of the New World."

46Bartolomé de Las Casas, Indian Freedom: The Cause of Bartolomé de Las Casas (1484-1566). A
reader, translated by Francis Patrick Sullivan (Kansas City, 1995), 353-5.

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