WOMEN AND THE CHURCH IN COLONIAL LATIN AMERICA

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WOMEN AND THE CHURCH IN COLONIAL LATIN AMERICA

• HOW IMPORTANT WAS THE CHURCH?
• INSTRUMENT OF THE STATE
• JUSTIFIED THE CONQUEST
• DEFINED INAPPROPRIATE INDIGENOUS CULTURE
  POLYGAMY, CULT WORSHIP, SHAMANS, MATRIARCHY
• REAL PATRONATO-PRIVILEGE GIVEN BY THE POPE TO
  SPANISH KINGS TO NAME BISHOPS
• INQUISITION
• SOCIAL WELFARE HOSPITALS, ORPHANAGES, SCHOOLS,
  PRISONS, CHARITIES, KEEPER OF VITAL STATISTICS

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THE CHURCH AS AN INSTRUMENT OF FAMILY CONTROL

• ONLY INSTITUTION AUTHORIZED TO PERFORM MARRIAGES
• DEFINED APPROPRIATE SEXUALITY
• HEARD CONFESSIONS OF ALL
• MEDIATED IN FAMILY DISPUTES
• REINFORCED STATE DESIRES TO USE MARRIAGE TO
  DEFINE PROPERTY AND STATUS
• ONLY INSTITUTION CAPABLE OF MODERATING SLAVERY

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COUNCIL OF TRENT 1543-1563

• DEFINED MARRIAGE AS A SACRAMENT
• MARRIAGE INDISSOLUABLE
• NO ONE COULD MARRY AGAINST HIS/HER OWN WILL
• COURT OF LAST RESORT FOR CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY
  WOMEN, FORCED TO MARRY AGAINST THEIR WISHES
• ROLE OF THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION

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WOMEN AND THE CATHOLIC IDEAL

• VIRGINITY HIGHEST VALUE
• MARRIAGE AND SEXUAL PROPRIETY ONLY VIABLE
  ALTERNATIVE, SEX ONLY FOR PROCREATION,
  ANTIABORTION
• FEMALE SUBORDINATION TO MEN
• WOMENS RESPONSE TO THIS IDEOLOGY SOR JUANA DE
  LA CRUZ, SANTA ROSA DE LIMA, CONVENTS OF PERU,
  LIFE INSIDE CONVENTS

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SOR JUANA DE LA CRUZ, 1648-1695
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SANTA ROSA DE LIMA (1586-1617)
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CONVENTS IN BRAZIL

• FUNCTION EDUCATION, ALTERNATIVE TO CHILDBEARING,
  CONTEMPLATION, PLACE OF STATUS
• CLASS STRUCTURE
• PROFESSANTS-VOWS, DOWRY, PURITY OF RACE, BLACK
  VEIL (FULL DOWRY), WHITE VEIL (HALF-DOWRY
• WOMEN SENT THERE UNMARRIED WOMEN, WIVES OF
  TRAVELLING HUSBANDS, WIDOWS, ELDERLYNON OF THESE
  WOMEN TAKE THE VEIL
• YOUNG GIRLS SENT FOR EDUCATION AND REFUGE
  ORPHANS, DEFLOWERED GIRLS, ILLEGITIMATE GIRLS,
  NON-WHITE WOMEN SEEING RELIGIOUS PROFESSION,
  PUPILS (EDUCANDAS)

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CONVENTS CONT

• SECULAR FUNCTION OF CONVENTS
• IDENTIFY WEALTHY MEMBERS OF SOCIETY
• KEEP ESTATES FROM BEING DIVIDED BY PARTIBLE
  INHERITANCE
• KEEP FAMILIES FROM HAVING DAUGHTERS MARRY BENEATH
  THEIR STATUS
• SERVE AS BANKER AND REAL ESTATE AGENT FOR SOCIETY

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HISTORY OF CONVENTS

• PRIOR TO 1677 FOR BRAZIL AND 1540 FOR MEXICO (NEW
  SPAIN), CONVENTS WERE PROHIBITED
• CROWN WANTED WHITE WOMEN TO MARRY
• WOMEN WERE SENT BACK TO PORTUGAL TO PROFESS
• SALVADOR DE BAHIA GOT FIRST CONVENT FOR FIGHTING
  THE DUTCH OCCUPATION OF THE LATE 16TH, EARLY 17TH
  CENTURY

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WHO WENT INTO CONVENTS?

• FIRST CONVENT (POOR CLARES) HAD ONLY 100 PLACES,
  HELD MOSTLY BY DAUGHTERS OF MUNICIPAL COUNCILMEN
• BETWEEN 1677 AND 1800 77 OF FEMALE OFFSPRING OF
  MOST PROMINENT FAMILIES OF BAHIA PROFESSED, ONLY
  14 MARRIED
• CONVENTS LOCATED MOSTLY IN LARGE CITIES

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WHAT HAPPENED TO WOMEN WHO DIDNT JOIN CONVENTS?

• ROLE OF THIRD ORDERS, FRANCISCANS, ETC.
• BEATAS
• RELIGIOSITY WITHIN THE HOME