Death Comes for the Archbishop
By
Willa Cather
Willa Cather is the author of the award winning novel Death Comes For The Archbishop written in 1927. She was born in 1873 near Winchester, Virginia and soon moved to Nebraska (Cather, 1927). During her childhood she was surrounded by foreign languages and customs. Even at her young age she felt a connection to the immigrants in Nebraska and was intrigued with their connection to the land. Willa also loved writing about the vanished past of the American Southwest where nature and Christianity is opposed to the modern urban life and society (http://fp.image.dk). She was raised Episcopalian and later in life she joined the Protestant Church in search for spirituality while still being captivated with the grandeur of ceremonies performed in the Catholic Church. These fascinations were projected directly into to her writings, as seen in her book Death Comes For The Archbishop. This book was awarded the Howells Medal of the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1930 (http://www.geocities.com).
This book is considered an American Classic due to its longevity in popular literature. It also provides the important historical background on the Catholic Church and its impact on the American Southwest. Willa emphasizes, through her writings, the hardships of the people involved in making this part of America what it is today. It points out the influence of the earliest Spanish missionaries of the 16th century through the latter part of the 19th century involving French missionaries and exposes the corruptness as well as the dedication of the missionaries of the church. The book’s main setting is in the 19th century, during the settlement of New Mexico and Colorado and recalls the journeys that a priest undertook and the hardships overcame in order to meet his and the churches goal of bringing the Catholic faith to Mexicans and native Indians. Through his travels and the spiritual work in the beautiful, yet rough environment he was radically transformed. He was especially influenced by the experiences of the westward movement of the agricultural frontier because of the impact of the native people.
The main character of this book is Father Jean Marie Latour. He was consecrated the Catholic Vicar Apostolic of New Mexico and Bishop of Agathonica in partibus at Cincinnati and was destined to reach his Vicarate (Cather 1927) and help the people of the land. When he was given his mission to retrieve the bishopric (Cather 1927) by the Vatican in Rome he accepted it whole heartedly.
One of the most interesting aspects of Diaz’s narrative is towards the end when Cortés broaches the subject of Christianity with Montezuma. Conversion and missionary work was one of the most important and lasting goals of the conquistadors and other contemporary explorers, they were charged with this duty by the rulers who sent t...
Jacques Lafaye, a French historian, published a study pertaining to the intellectual history of New Spain and its development of a national consciousness that would facilitate a move towards independence. Lafaye takes a unique approach of examining the formation of Mexico’s national conciseness by pointing to the importance of religious thought in that process. In this ethnohistorical study the author pays special attention to the interaction of Iberian Christianity and Aztec belief system in New Spain. Through careful analysis the author confronts the merging of these two faiths and their role in the transition from the Aztec world to independent Mexico. Lafaye specifically alludes to the syncretic nature of St.Thomas-Quetzalcoatl and Guadalupe-Tonantzin
Adventures In The Unknown Interior of America, a narrative by Cabeza De Vaca, contains many pieces of information that are applicable to present day society and the culture that has been created. The values of today’s moral code and the moral code of those who lived in the fifteen-hundreds, whether or not they knew Spain as their mother country or America to be the only country, have similar qualities. Not only has moral code contained similar values but it also contains comparable accommodation to different cultures living among one another.
The study of religion is often a rigorous process because the central tenets of the subject: image, ritual, and myth are often copious in their complexity. For example, consider the multiple meanings that are inherent in the image of a crucifix. Some Christians might view it as an image of suffering, whilst others would reject that notion and instead perceive it to be one of love. These differences may seem inconsequential at first, but they can overtime shape the beliefs of an individual and by extension a community. To understand this dynamic better one only has to analyze the Christo Aparecido (Christ Appeared), an authentic Mexican crucifix with a fascinating history from the colonial era to the present. This history is made known by the text, Biography of a Mexican Crucifix: Lived Religion and Local Faith from the Conquest to the Present by Jennifer Hughes, from which I contend that over the life of the Christo Aparecido there continues to be an understanding among devotees that this crucifix is sacred because it displays animus while being a vestige for the sacred to occupy. To support my position I will attempt to relate the moments where the Christo Aparecido is said to show signs of life, in particular his stay in Mexico City during the colonial era and his role in more modern times with rival groups clashing over its efficacy in the village of Totolapan.
Dutto, Rev. L. A. The Life of Bartolomé de Las Casas and the First Leaves of American Ecclesiastical History St. Louis, MO: B. Herder 1902
A novel should be something that is easy to define. One would expect the novel to have a plot, a central theme, a central character and a consistent style? The truth is that all of these things are important but not specifically necessary. Willa Cather's Death Comes for the Archbishop cannot be easily classified as a novel in normal terms. It lacks a central plot that carries the work from beginning to some sort of an ending. It does, however, contain central characters, themes, and a clearly consistent style, but the story that is told consists of small vignettes.
Although Father Latour may possess few worldly desires, one may argue he wants what others can benefit from as well as pleasing himself. Along his journeys, Latour encounters various people, most associates of the Catholic Church like himself. It seems as each time Latour detects a sense of deceit in a person, he progresses in his own mission of morality. When one is trying so hard to embrace and follow the rules and restrictions of religion, as well as enjoy the worldly luxuries, a divided character is created within oneself. It is not until true and total devotion is committed to ones religion that material things become irrelevant and one can be at peace.
For example, Bartoleme de Las Casas, a European priest that eventually grew to sympathize with the Native 's sufferings stated that the Natives were “rational, docile, humble, gentle, and simple, who are so well equipped to receive our Holy Catholic Faith and every moral doctrine and who are endowed with such good customs.”6 Furthermore, even the ruthless Spanish conquistador, Hernan Cortes, who conquered the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, noted that praised the Aztec 's civilized way of life by stating “ The manner of living among the people is very similar to that in Spain, and considering that this is a barbarous nation shut off from a knowledge of the true God or communication with enlightened nations, one may marvel at the orderliness and good government which is everywhere maintained.”7 These qualities in the eyes of the missionaries, made the Natives an ideal group for conversion.
In Death Comes for the Archbishop, Willa Cather does not portray Bishop Latour and father Vaillant as hero, saints, or martyrs, but as two priests who do not live glorious lives and yet leave behind a glorious legacy through their missionary work and spreading of Catholicism in the Southwest. Bishop Latour and Father Vaillant did not live and die in vain, but rather created a legacy. At the end of the priests’ lives, they look back on their journey of life and feel a sense of happiness even in death because they did everything they wanted to do in life and they made their lives a work of art. In the eyes of the people they helped, they are heroes and they exemplify how everyone can be a hero. Bishop Latour and Father Vaillant are brave,
One of the most significant factors in regards to the development of the Colonial Latin America was in many ways the reach of Christianity. The religion’s reach from across the Atlantic proved to be just as strong as from Europe, and consequently played a large role in the development of culture and society within Latin American colonies. Similar to Spain, the Inquisition in the New World served as a physical threat to those who were not Christians, and was essentially the chief authority in religious matters. In regards to Peru, the role of the Inquisition served as a governing body. Irene Silverblatt’s Modern Inquisitions looks at the role of Inquisitors and the ensuing persecution that would follow. While acknowledging the actions that
... gives insight into Junpero Serra’s world, his views, and how he changed New Spain and California. He inspired to spread Catholicism, the suppression of natives’ individualism, and the rejection of materialism. The books helps to show Juniper Serra in the good and bad. He had faults like any human being. Apart from seeing Junipero Serra in his life the world around him was also on display. It shows how New Spain and California was with the influence of Junipero Serra and how has drastically changed over time to what it is today. Now here in California there are various religions not just Catholicism anymore. California society is now individualistic something Serra had fought against; furthermore in society materialism is even more important than ever before. There changes have provided us the people a picture of the California of the past. One we should not forget.
This religious study will define the social stratification of Roman Catholic policies in colonial Mexico. Religion has always played a major role in the country and this is no less true of its colonial period. Historically, Catholicism was seen as a civilizing force that contended with the indigenous religions of the indigenous population, as well as with religions imported by other, non-European newcomers. This aspect of syncretic religious values was part of the overarching authority of the Roman Catholic to stratify citizens based on racial and social values within the context of colonial governmental policies. The restric6ttions to class mobility were primarily based on racial and ideology religious values, which were controlled and regulated through the Spanish Inquisition during the colonial era. Also, an examination of the Cult of Mary will define the various forms of syncretic beliefs that were an extension of witchcraft and Aztec belief system amongst the indigenous population. In essence, this study aims to examine to what extent religion expressed the societal standing of members of colonial society, which created a stratification of society under the authority of the Roman Catholic Church in
The first Catholic priests came to South America with the conquistadors and through social and political force superimposed 16th century Catholicism upon conquered peoples and in subsequent generations upon slaves arriving in the New World. Catholicism has, likewise, frequently absorbed, rather than confronted, popular folk religious beliefs. The resulting religion is often overtly Catholic but covertly pagan. Behind the Catholic facade, the foundations and building structure reflect varying folk religious traditions. (2)
Pollen, John Hungerford. "St. Ignatius Loyola." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York: Robert Appleton Company,1910. 23 Mar. 2014 .
Bainvel, Jean. The New Catholic Encyclopedia. New York City: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15006b.htm (accessed September 23, 2011).