Francisco Marroquín Explained

Honorific-Prefix:Most Reverend
Francisco Marroquín Hurtado
Bishop of Santiago de Guatemala
Church:Catholic Church
Term:1534–1563
Predecessor:None
Successor:Bernardino de Villalpando
Consecration:8 April 1537
Consecrated By:Juan de Zumárraga
Birth Date:1478
Death Date:19 April 1563 (84-85 years old)
Death Place:Guatemala City, Guatemala
Nationality:Spanish

Francisco Marroquín (1499 – April 18, 1563) was the first bishop of Guatemala,[1] [2] translator of Central American languages and provisional Governor of Guatemala.

Biography

Marroquín was born near Santander, Spain. He studied philosophy and theology in Osuna.[3] After entering the priesthood, Marroquín became a professor at the University of Osuna where he met Bishop García de Loaisa, an adviser to Emperor Charles V.[4] Marroquín became a priest in the Spanish royal court.[3] In 1528 the conquistador Pedro de Alvarado, Governor of Guatemala, was in Spain and met Marroquín; he convinced the priest to accompany him back to Guatemala.[5]

After first arriving in Mexico, he traveled onwards to Guatemala with Alvarado, in May 1528. On April 11, 1530, he was appointed parish priest of Guatemala.[6] On December 18, 1534, he was appointed during the papacy of Pope Paul III as Bishop of Santiago de Guatemala[7] and later provisional governor of Guatemala. On April 8, 1537, he was consecrated bishop by Juan de Zumárraga, Archbishop of Mexico, with Juan Lopez de Zárate, Bishop of Antequera, Oaxaca serving as co-consecrator. While bishop, he was the principal consecrator of Tomás Casillas, Bishop of Chiapas (1552) and principal co-consecrator of Antonio de Valdivieso, Bishop of Nicaragua (1544).

Marroquín founded the School of Saint Thomas in 1559 (now the University of San Carlos of Guatemala) as part of his efforts to educate the native people. He became a scholar of the Kʼicheʼ language and published the first catechism in that language.[8]

The Universidad Francisco Marroquín in Guatemala City is named for him.

External links and additional sources

Notes and References

  1. Recinos 1952, 1986, p. 127. n. 75.
  2. Book: Eubel, Konrad. Hierarchia catholica medii et recentioris aevi . Konrad Eubel. III. 207. 1923. Libreria Regensbergiana. Münster. second. (in Latin)
  3. Recinos 1952, 1986, p. 127.
  4. Web site: Francisco . Pérez de Antón . In Praise of Francisco Marroquín . January 13, 1992 . Universidad Francisco Marroquín, Guatemala City . October 15, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071013190645/https://mps2006.org/ufm/LoaSemMarroquin.pdf . October 13, 2007 . dead .
  5. Recinos 1952, 1986, pp. 126–127.
  6. Francisco Marroquín (1499–1563) . Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty . Religion & Liberty . Grand Rapids, Michigan . September–October 2002 . 12 . 5 . 2008-10-14 .
  7. Web site: Cheney . David M.. Bishop Francisco Marroquín Hurtado . Catholic-Hierarchy.org. June 16, 2018.
  8. Web site: Francisco Marroquin (1478–1563) . . Genesis Megaprogramas, SA . 2008-10-14.