COMUNICACIÓN

From 21 to 26 October in Guadalupe, Cáceres, and Belvís de Monroy. (16/10/2024).

The Autonomous Community of Extremadura is celebrating the 500^th anniversary of the journey of twelve Franciscan monks who departed from Belvís de Monroy for America by hosting the international congress “The Franciscans in Hispanic America: Review and Interpretation of the Legacy of the Twelve Apostles of Mexico”. This congress will run from 21 to 26 October in Guadalupe, Cáceres, and Belvís de Monroy.

“This will be an opportunity to strengthen and update the historical and cultural ties that unite us with Hispanic America, a unique occasion to reflect on our shared past, embrace our cultural roots, and tighten our bonds of friendship with Spanish-speaking countries across the Atlantic”.

These were the words of Victoria Bazaga, the regional minister of Culture, Tourism, Youth, and Sports, during the congress presentation on Wednesday in Mérida. Also speaking at the event were María del Mar Lozano Bartolozzi, director of the Royal Academy of Arts and Letters of Extremadura, and Juan Carlos Moreno, director of the European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation.

The congress commemorates the departure of twelve Franciscan friars from the Berrocal convent in Belvís de Monroy, Cáceres, in 1524. Their mission was to evangelise what was then known as New Spain, now Mexico. These missionaries brought Christianity to America, but “it was not just a religious mission, it was also a cultural and humanitarian one. They promoted the preservation of pre-Columbian languages and advanced the education of indigenous peoples. Undoubtedly, Extremadura played a crucial and central role in the evangelisation and defence of the rights of indigenous peoples in the New World”, stated the regional minister. She emphasised that “these twelve Franciscan friars carried their faith with them as well as their commitment to social justice. They defended the natives and promoted equality, and today, 500 years later, their values continue to inspire us to build a fairer and more equitable future”.

The director of the Royal Academy of Extremadura of Arts and Letters (RAEX), María del Mar Lozano Bartolozzi, stated during her speech that the arrival of the twelve Franciscans from the San Francisco de Belvís de Monroy convent in New Spain “highlights one of the most positive aspects of the discovery and Spain’s presence in America”.

She also recalled parts of the lecture by the Archbishop of the Mérida-Badajoz diocese, Fray José Rodríguez Carballo, held on 13 June as part of the commemoration of Academy Day. In his speech, he spoke about the important role played by the twelve apostles in defending the indigenous people, promoting equality for native populations, and advocating for the establishment and promulgation of human rights. Rodríguez Carballo added that they were advocates for the inculturation of the indigenous people, learning their native languages, preserving them, establishing training schools, and fostering a rich cultural and architectural heritage.

For the director of RAEX, the timing of this congress is opportune, “as the reflection on and study of the history of Spain’s relationship with Latin America is once again being approached through academic and historically objective channels”. In this regard, she mentioned that more than 300 people have registered to participate in the three venues, in addition to the online attendees.

The main aim of this scientific congress is to update knowledge and historiography on one of the most significant events of Spain’s presence in America. According to the director of RAEX, the Franciscans who departed from the Belvís de Monroy convent projected, from a place of poverty and austerity, “the Franciscan utopia in the Indian territories, leaving behind a legacy of their humanising mission, which still remains fully relevant as an inspiring principle for human rights policies in Latin America”, she explained.

Yuste Foundation is part of the public foundation sector of the Regional Government of Extremadura, which is why its director, Juan Carlos Moreno, took the opportunity to recall the founding principles of the institution, which include fostering and maintaining relations between Europe and Ibero-America, in order to study, reflect on, and defend both the historical legacy and the current reality. “This is why,” the director affirmed, “we are working on organising this congress, which looks back 500 years to bring to light this lesser-known episode of history, in which doctrine was taken to America and once there, the Franciscans became defenders of the native peoples”.

To conclude, Moreno Piñero emphasised that the congress is being held “at a propitious and timely moment,” as Extremadura seeks to regain leadership in relations between Spain and Ibero-America. “A leadership that allows us to look back at the past with clear and unclouded eyes, not with nostalgia for what once was, but as a platform to achieve new things in the future”.

Historians estimate that the number of clergy involved in the evangelisation of America in the 16^th century reached 6,000, of whom over 2,600 were Franciscans. Among them, more than a thousand were Franciscans from Extremadura who carried out missionary work in America between 1500 and 1880.

The congress will be held in three locations in Extremadura associated with Franciscan history: Guadalupe, Cáceres, and Belvís de Monroy. Additionally, parallel activities will be organised, such as guided tours of the Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe and the Belvís convent, as well as a concert at the Co-Cathedral of Santa María in Cáceres.

The speakers and contributors invited to the congress come from the Pontifical University Antonianum in Rome, the University of Missouri in the United States, as well as other Spanish universities and research centres. They will provide a multidisciplinary perspective, covering fields such as medicine, architecture, art, music, philology, law, Franciscanism, evangelisation, and Guadalupe devotion, among others.

The congress is being organised with the collaboration of the Regional Government of Extremadura through the regional ministry of Culture, Tourism, Youth, and Sports, the Extremaduran Culture Foundation, the Provincial Council of Cáceres, the City Councils of Cáceres and Belvís de Monroy, the Caja Almendralejo Foundation, the Coria-Cáceres Cathedral Chapter, the University of Extremadura, and the University for Seniors.