Preparations

As a reward for his services, the emperor offered Las Casas the bishopric of Cusco, the ancient capital of the Peruvian Incas and one of the wealthiest sees of the land. That is the story as told by Las Casas’s earliest biographer, Antonio Remesal, O. P. The bishopric covered most of the expanding Spanish Empire in South America, from just south of Panama (another bishopric) to Chile. Remesal says that Las Casas turned down the immensely wealthy bishopric for the humble one of Chiapa in southern Mexico/northern Guatemala. Las Casas thereby showed us the face of humility. It is a wonderful story redolent with the humble side of Las Casas. His modern biographers doubt it is true. One, there is little or no documentary evidence, and, two, perhaps most important, it was not in keeping with Las Casas’s very aggressive nature. Humility and Christian patience were not strong suits in Las Casas’s quiver of Christian gifts and virtues.