Juan Damián López de Haro
Encyclopedia
Friar Juan Damián López de Haro (September 27, 1581 - August 24, 1648) was a member of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity
and served as Bishop
of Puerto Rico
in 1644. He is known for expressing his disillusionment on Puerto Rico's dilapidated colony status in letters and poems written to Spanish officials.
on September 27, 1581, where he was baptized on the same day. He enrolled in Religious studies in 1599, majoring in philosophy at the convent in Toledo. He later majored in Theology
continuing his studies in Salamanca.
of Puerto Rico at that time and convened a Synod
.
In his final years as Bishop, López de Haro began visiting annexed regions of the diocese in what is now Venezuela
. During this trip, he contracted Yellow Fever
and died on Margarita Island on August 24, 1644, after only 4 years as Bishop.
, and Juan Diez de la Calle, a clerk of the secretary of New Spain
of the Council of the Indies (in Madrid). In his letters to King Philip were descriptions of the state of the diocese on both the Island of Puerto Rico, City of San Juan Bautista, and annexes.
In his letters to Juan Dias de la Calle, López de Haro is seen expressing his dissatisfaction with colonial conditions of Puerto Rico, and his distaste of white settlers' chivalrous hypocrisy.
López de Haro has also written some of the first recordings of Taíno
folk tales and his writings are the only known historical description of Puerto Rico in the mid-seventeenth century.
Trinitarian Order
The Order of the Holy Trinity is a Catholic religious order that was founded in the area of Cerfroid, some 80 km northeast of Paris, at the end of the twelfth century. The founder was St. John de Matha, whose feast day is celebrated on 17 December...
and served as Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
in 1644. He is known for expressing his disillusionment on Puerto Rico's dilapidated colony status in letters and poems written to Spanish officials.
Early years
López de Haro was born in Toledo, SpainToledo, Spain
Toledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...
on September 27, 1581, where he was baptized on the same day. He enrolled in Religious studies in 1599, majoring in philosophy at the convent in Toledo. He later majored in Theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
continuing his studies in Salamanca.
Bishop of Puerto Rico
López de Haro was appointed Bishop of Puerto Rico on February 9, 1643, confirmed on June 13, ordained as bishop on February 14, 1644, and installed upon his arrival to Puerto Rico on July 13, 1644. Upon his arrival, López de Haro began to express his overall dislike with the conditions of the ColonyColony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
of Puerto Rico at that time and convened a Synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
.
In his final years as Bishop, López de Haro began visiting annexed regions of the diocese in what is now Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. During this trip, he contracted Yellow Fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
and died on Margarita Island on August 24, 1644, after only 4 years as Bishop.
Literature
During his tenure, López de Haro wrote extensively maintaining correspondence with numerous dignitaries. Of the most notable are King Philip IVPhilip IV of Spain
Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
, and Juan Diez de la Calle, a clerk of the secretary of New Spain
New Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
of the Council of the Indies (in Madrid). In his letters to King Philip were descriptions of the state of the diocese on both the Island of Puerto Rico, City of San Juan Bautista, and annexes.
In his letters to Juan Dias de la Calle, López de Haro is seen expressing his dissatisfaction with colonial conditions of Puerto Rico, and his distaste of white settlers' chivalrous hypocrisy.
López de Haro has also written some of the first recordings of Taíno
Taíno people
The Taínos were pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. It is thought that the seafaring Taínos are relatives of the Arawak people of South America...
folk tales and his writings are the only known historical description of Puerto Rico in the mid-seventeenth century.
See also
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Juan de Puerto RicoRoman Catholic Archdiocese of San Juan de Puerto RicoThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Juan de Puerto Rico is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church, comprising the northeast portion of the island of Puerto Rico, a commonwealth of the United States...
- Puerto Rican literature
- List of Latin American writers