Obispos españoles en Sicilia: origen judeoconverso y acción pastoral “tridentina” (siglos XVI-XVII)

Abstract

Between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the kings of Spain appointed distinguished Spanish prelates of converso origin as bishops in Sicily. This is because their “tainted” blood prevented them from holding Spanish episcopal seats. The article aims to establish whether the converso condition of these bishops could have influenced their pastoral reforms as well as “radicalised” their application of the Tridentine model. If so, this could be interpreted as clear proof of their loyalty to the Catholic faith in the name of which their ancestors were persecuted. This work will shed light on the cases of Cardinal Luis de Torres, Archbishop of Monreale (1588-1609), and of Juan de Orozco y Covarrubias, Bishop of Agrigento (1594-1606), both of them model guides and reformers in their dioceses. Their converso descent as well as family entourage and the ecclesiastical careers built by some of their relatives in Spain, Rome and Sicily, will be analysed.