Bernardo Batiz V.
D
since september 9 From 1572, when the first eight priests of the Society of Jesus landed in San Juan de Ulúa, a religious order authorized only by Pope Paul III, the histories of Mexico and the Jesuits, keeping the proportions, run parallel. The Jesuits appear again and again at important events in our eventful life; sometimes as front row protagonists, others in the discreet work of evangelizing and teaching.
A new chapter in this intersection of stories is the condemnable murder of the priests Javier Campos Morales SJ and Joaquín César Mora SJ, Rooster Y blueberry as they were known with affection by their parishioners in Cerocahui, in the heart of the Tarahumara mountains; and the aftermath of it, the sermon of another Jesuit, Father Javier Ávila SJ, who was applauded for an occasional phrase, said in the homily of the Mass for the dead of his companions and which was hugs are not enough for so many bullets
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As it happens, our President, who respects the freedom of others to express himself without repressing, also used his own to respond and, without much thought, demanded that the clerics who ask him to amend his security policy, have not been so clear before, when war was declared narco and mainly against the government of Chihuahua that never complied with the arrest warrants against the murderer of the Jesuits.
Let’s go to our story; The Jesuits, very soon and recently arrived in New Spain, stood out in two activities that strongly influenced the history of the viceroyalty and placed them at the forefront, in that hectic time of social processes with unpredictable outcomes; exploration to evangelize and education. During these almost two centuries, until the year in which they were expelled from Spain and its overseas kingdoms, they worked intensely and obtained achievements that were and are worthy of admiration.
They founded schools for middle and upper class youth, in 23 cities of what is now Mexico; in the capital, in Puebla, Guanajuato, Celaya, Oaxaca, San Luis Potosí, Parral, Chihuahua, Valladolid today Morelia, Querétaro, Durango and Ciudad Real in Chiapas, now San Cristóbal Las Casas. There they also received children of the native nobility and any outstanding and studious boy. We must remember that in 1578, very shortly after their landing, they founded the Colegio San Gregorio for indigenous children.
Current witnesses of this brilliant history are the great buildings of its seminaries, colleges and temples that we find everywhere; perhaps the most beautiful is in Tepotzotlán; Other recognized Jesuit schools are San Ildefonso in Mexico, La Compañía in Puebla and dozens more throughout the country.
Historians agree in pointing them out as precursors of Independence, due to the influence of the Jesuits, who brought young people, Creoles and mestizos closer to intellectual concerns, concepts of freedom, of improvement through study and also, through spiritual exercises, the virtues of faith and love of neighbor. His expulsion caused great discontent, some riots and the perception that we lived under a tyranny. It is attributed to the Count of Gálvez, when asked the reasons for the expulsion, the phrase reason is kept in the royal chest of his majesty Carlos III
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We must remember that several Jesuits died for their work of evangelization, some precisely in the Sierra Tarahumara, including Gonzalo de Tapia SJ, who founded San Luis de la Paz and continued on his way with his companions until death. It was everyone’s disposition; give his life for his conviction. Outstanding disciples of the Jesuits were the most brilliant characters of the Viceroyalty: Francisco J. Clavijero, Diego José Abad, Francisco Javier Alegre, Rafael Landívar and perhaps, indirectly, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz.
They returned when the order was again authorized and little by little they recovered their activity; During the so-called Cristero War, a Jesuit, Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez, was shot dead, others like Joaquín Cardoso SJ, had to hide and escape abroad and others like Salvador Garcidueñas SJ, of whom Felipe Garrido has written a wonderful biography, remained next to his parishioners.
Currently the Jesuits have a network of university schools, among which the ITESO of Guadalajara and the Universidad Iberoamericana stand out, in which the brave claim was made to the candidate Peña Nieto with the cry the Ibero does not want you
and the conglomerate identified as I am 132
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So let us recognize the testimonial value of the Jesuits murdered in the Tarahumara, the long history of sacrifice of the Order and that both the Jesuits and the President have the right to say clearly and sincerely what they feel. Deep down and in my opinion, they walk the same line, first the poor and social justice. As we said in my time there is no fix
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