excerpt
He was willing to have an honest discussion, and so I decided to
speak frankly. Perhaps it would bring me the courage to speak to
him about Infante.
“Pánfilo did what his master told him to do,” I said. “But there is a
master before you. And his orders are clear. To him I owe my
allegiance and so should you. I have only one master and that is
Christ. How different this conquest would be if we had treated the
Indians as we would treat ourselves.”
“Friar Salvador,” he said. “In case you hadn’t noticed, I try to
pacify them without unnecessary force, but I issue the orders here.
Discipline is a necessary thing. I cannot allow anybody, not even
you, to discredit my authority. These people are heathens. God
almighty sent the Israelites to conquer everything on their way to
the Promised Land. And they killed everyone, including women
and children.”
“But then Jesus came and bid us to love our enemies. How are
they ever to love Christianity if, we, as its representatives, loot, rape
and kill? To steal from the wounded and the helpless, to kill when
they try to resist, in a war that is one-sided to begin with, it seems
cowardly to me.”
The onlookers gasped. I immediately regretted my words. My
opinions were grounds for treason.
“You call me a coward?” Losada demanded with a piercing look,
rising from his chair.
“If I have offended you, I beg your forgiveness,” I said, blushing.
“Nothing I say could diminish your integrity.”
“You won’t interfere again? Ever?”
“I won’t interfere . . .”
“All right.”
Losada gulped from his cup of wine newly replenished by a
servant. It amazed me that he would allow such impudence from a
young priest. Then I understood why.
“I have promised my wife, you know, that you will come to our
house and chant the psalms for her.”
Ah, so that was the reason for his leniency. I held my ground.
Libros Libertad 