PUBLICACIONES

DOCTORAL THESES

 Editors: José Julián Barriga Bravo and Sixto Sánchez-Lauro (coords.)
Publication date: 2025
Publisher: Laborum, European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation, RAEX
ISBN: 978-84-10262-64-5
Available in digital and print editions: https://www.laborum.es

This volume brings together the papers presented at the international congress held in Extremadura from 21 to 26 October 2024 to mark the fifth centenary of the arrival in New Spain of the so-called Twelve Apostles of Mexico, Franciscan friars of the Observance from the convent of Belvís de Monroy in Extremadura.

This event, laden with deep symbolic meaning, recalls one of the most significant episodes in the Christianisation of the Americas and in the encounter between two worlds that had until then been unknown to each other. Those friars, trained in the austerity and seraphic poverty of their order, became pioneers of a spiritual, cultural, and human endeavour that would shape the destiny of New Spain. This book offers an up-to-date and critical synthesis of the Franciscan epic in the Americas, with particular attention to the significance of the Twelve as ethical and humanist exemplars. Their legacy, five centuries later, remains profoundly relevant to contemporary reflection on human rights, social justice, and intercultural dialogue.

The volume is organised into four major, complementary thematic chapters that together provide a comprehensive overview of Franciscan activity:

• Historical and historiographical context: The Twelve Apostles of Mexico. This section analyses the Iberian origins of the friars and the reformist process that shaped them in the spirit of the Extremaduran Discalced movement. It situates their mission to New Spain within the broader framework of the Hispanic monarchy and the religious and social tensions of the sixteenth century, and examines the historiographical reception of their achievement.
• Spiritual mission: The Utopia of the Twelve in the New World. It explores the theological and missionary ideals of the Franciscans and their understanding of the Gospel as a message of peace, poverty, and service.
• Intercultural mestizaje: The humanising work of the Twelve. This section delves into the role of the Franciscans as mediators in the process of cultural, social, and artistic mestizaje that shaped New Spanish society. It addresses topics such as the defence of Indigenous peoples, the founding of communities, the establishment of educational networks, and the symbolism of Guadalupe, thereby illustrating the breadth of their humanising mission.
• Franciscan evangelising work in New Spain. The studies gathered in this chapter show how spiritual ideals were translated into concrete institutions: colleges, churches, workshops, visual catechisms, architecture, and music. It highlights the role of the Colegio de Santa Cruz de Tlatelolco, the Franciscan influence on the arts, and the enduring continuity of their cultural legacy throughout Ibero-America.

Through these four themes, the work offers a renewed perspective on the Franciscan presence in the Americas, interweaving faith, culture, human dignity, and creativity. The studies included, written by distinguished scholars, provide a plural and enriching reading that connects the past with the ethical challenges of the present.

Ultimately, the book stands as a living testament to the dialogue between Extremadura and the Americas; a tribute to the universal values of Franciscan humanism and an invitation to rediscover the cultural and spiritual significance of the Twelve Apostles of Mexico, or, as they are also remembered, the Twelve Apostles of Belvís.