gretted death in 1565, the distinguished preacher Antonio Ruiz de Morales y Molina,[1] of the order of Santiago, ruled until 1572, when he was promoted to Puebla, partly on account of ill-health. He had taken a dislike to Patzcuaro as the episcopal residence, and after a quarrel with the local authorities, while they were celebrating the anniversary of the conquest of Michoacan, he made strong efforts for removing the seat to Valladolid, a change which was effected a few years later. Meanwhile the Augustinian Alonso de la Vera Cruz was tendered the prelacy, but declined in favor of a colleague named Diego de Chavez, and, he dying[2] before the confirmatory bulls arrived, Juan de Medina Rincon,[3] late provincial of the same order, was consecrated in 1574. For fourteen years he ruled, living ever the austere, self-denying life of the exemplary friar, and devoting his income to the sick and poor.[4]
His successor was appointed only in 1591, in the person of Alonso Guerra, a Dominican, born in Lima, Peru, and promoted to this see from that of Paraguay. He died in 1595,[5] and Domingo de Ulloa, another Dominican of high family, and lately bishop of Nicaragua and Popayan, took possession of the office in 1598, but he lived only four years.[6] At this
- ↑ Whose history he wrote. He was a native of Córdova, and nephew of the chronicler Morales. Concilios Prov., 1555-65, 246.
- ↑ February 14, 1573. Gonzalez Dávila, Teatro Ecles., i. 120, places his appointment after 1588, and states that he declined.
- ↑ A native of Segovia. He came to New Spain with his father, who held a high office in the real audiencia. In 1542 he took the habit of an Austin friar. Gonzalez Dávila, Teatro Ecles., i. 115-20. Vetancurt, Menolog., 82, asserts that the mitre was tendered by Philip II. to the Franciscan Juan de Ayora, and the royal cédula was found in the old friar's breviary after his death. The author leaves us in the dark as to the date of such choice. Ayora went to the Philippines in 1577, and died there in 1581.
- ↑ Rather than submit to a violation of the rules in regard to dress, which was a necessity in the tierra caliente, when provincial he threw up the doctrinas in Pánuco and some in Michoacan. However, after becoming bishop he recovered as many of them as he could. Mich., Prov. S. Nic., 100.
- ↑ Calle, Mem. y Not., 72. Some say in 1596. Figueroa, Vindicias, MS., 74.
- ↑ He died in Mexico and was there buried in the convent of his order. There is confusion among the old writers about the time of the appointment of this bishop and of his death. Gonzalez Dávila, Teatro Ecles., ii. 70, appoints him to Yucatan before he comes to Michoacan, which is probably an error in writing that word for Popayan. He also in the same page gives his
