The Dangers of Independence

The concept of the beata, which we discussed this week, is very interesting. These women lived lives devoted to the service of God, taking vows of chastity and abstaining from other vices, but did so without the supervision of an established monastery or church. This kind of independent lifestyle was rather unique for women at the time, especially one devoted to the church. Often women who lived on their own were associated with sinful activities and defiance of religious mandates. But these ladies claimed that they were living under God's will, relinquishing their own desires. Such a contradiction raised interesting issues in society and often caused complicated problems.

Being a beata must have been an attractive opportunity for women at the time. Much in the way that some convents allowed the nuns a comfortable lifestyle, the life of a beata offered even greater freedom and peace, without the intervention of the leaders who governed the monasteries. They could continue in their former position in society under the vague constrictions of their own personal vows to God. They often lived in communities together, supporting themselves by selling goods and performing other tasks without the domination of men or the urge to marry in order to maintain their way of life. But a group of women living together with no supervision made a lot of people very nervous. Church leaders, in particular, worried that if people, particularly women, were able to craft their own interpretations of the Scriptures without any censorship or surveillance they would be led astray and accept doctrines of highly questionable validity. Beatas were of particular concern to the Inquisition, since they claimed a role in the religious structure of the community but did not conform to the requirements of a traditional nun.

The case of Marina de San Miguel, an older beata brought before the Inquisition, is an example of how the skepticism of church leaders was aroused. In her first hearing, she appeared to be a pious, hard-working woman, having provided vital assistance to her family and saved enough money to buy her own house despite having several difficult challenges to overcome in her life. But as the Inquisition instructed her to "examine her memory" and determine the reason that she was brought in, she eventually confessed outrageous offenses such as having relations with the devil and a man named Juan Nunez. It is likely that she was a victim of Juan's misleading and was very confused about the condition of her soul, given the images in her visions, but to the church, it was clear that regardless of her intent, her independent lifestyle had led to her despicable condition that might have been prevented under the guidance of a monastery.

However, despite the threat posed to individual souls, I think the church also recognized the threat that the position of beata posed to their own institutions. The more that people felt they could interpret the Scriptures on their own and take care of their own struggle for salvation, the less power the church wielded in the community. This was likely the primary motivation for the excessive use of the Inquisition. Rooting out heretics emphasized the real Biblical truth, but those arrested also served as an example to those who were unsure of the church's power. In a time when the state was usurping much of the church's jurisdiction, it was vital that they maintain all control over religious thought. Growing independence, as usual, was a threat to established authority.

Rich and Religious?

In modern times, the most common image of a nun is a woman dressed in dark robes with her head covered, living in a convent without many contemporary conveniences or luxuries. However, in colonial Latin America, convents were much more diverse in their beliefs and practices than they typically are in North America today. I found it very interesting to consider what life was like in a convent for upper class women in that time period, especially compared to the life they would have had if they had not joined the convent.

For instance, a woman of the upper class who took vows to become a nun did not necessarily have to take a vow of poverty. In fact, some of them lived in rather fancy apartments with many of the luxuries that they had been accustomed to before entering the church. Beyond this, they could use some of their free time to study and engage in other pursuits according to their desires. Such a life was certainly not unattractive to a young woman from the upper class as an alternative to marriage. Religious convictions were certainly a strong motivation, since all good Catholics were concerned with the salvation of their souls, but it was also nice for them to be comfortable in the convent as they served the Lord and the church.

Had they not joined the church, such woman would most likely have been married at a fairly young age to a man from her social class. She would then have received her dowry, which was her portion of her parents' inheritance. As a wife she would have been in charge of her household, completing several important tasks and supervising the other members of the home in their jobs. There would not necessarily have been much time for intellectual pursuits or leisure activities, though wealth certainly provided more access to those activities. For a woman who valued solitude and a calm lifestyle, the convent could offer peace and time for enjoyments in addition to the ever-important prayer and service.

One famous woman who sought such an existence was Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz. She used her time in the convent to study philosophy and literature, and became one of the most prominent Latin American poets. Supported by the Viceroy, she was allowed to live a life of ease in order to follow and perfect her art. Had she been married or had to support herself as a doncella, such a lifestyle would probably not have been possible. The fact that the church was able to offer support to women seeking a life in the church led to a group of women practicing religious piety without sacrificing all of their liberties or individuality. While the vow of poverty and abstinence from other elements of the modern life was important to some, it was good for the church and the convents to allow diversity in the lives of nuns so that more women had access to a life of semi-independence.

Conflict and Tension

One of the most prominent elements of the cases that we read about this week was the comparison of homosexual relationships to traditional marriages and courtship rituals in order to define the status of the two people involved. When two men or two women went on paseo together, held hands, slept in the same bed, supported each other financially, etc., they were considered to be in a monogamous kind of physical relationship. One of the most convincing characteristics, however, was the jealous fights that couples often got into, attracting the attention of neighbors and alerting them to the fact that these two people must be involved with each other. This is still one of the ways we define relationships today. When little boys chase little girls around the playground and annoy them, their parents usually say it's because the boys like them. Later in life, if two people get into passionate arguments, particularly ones based on jealousy or similar offenses, they must be together. People tend to assume that if you don't care about someone, you won't bother to argue with them, and it won't hurt your feelings for them to give someone else attention. And usually this is true. But it's interesting to realize that fights can be a characteristic of passionate relationships. It's certainly not something we would usually assume unless we stopped to think about it. Romantic comedies almost always portray a couple who are being tormented by outside circumstances and who are also frustrating each other because of their differences and what usually turns out to be suppressed sexual tension. In fact, if I hear of a couple that never has arguments, I am usually skeptical of how sincere their relationship can be. Surely it doesn't have any depth, or they would have run into divisive issues by now. So while jealous fights and arguments are not necessarily a desirable quality in relationships, they do seem to be a widely accepted and sometimes successful measure of how intimate and sincere a relationship between two people is.

Crime Drama in Colonial Mexico

Normally when I think of law practices in the 1700's, I assume they were biased, unfair, and primitive. The negative connotations of the Inquisition and the role of the church in the trial and punishment of criminals makes it seem like the system must be corrupt. So I was somewhat surprised by the cases that we read of sexual crimes in colonial Mexico. Particularly the case of Catarina Maria and Juan Teioa. The complexities of the record and what actually took place in the proceedings reminded me of Law and Order or another of the crime shows that are so popular on television today.

I think the reason that these shows are so popular is that they have complex plots and mysterious outcomes, and at the same time show us a lot about our society and the way that different people act within it. Sometimes they display people that are considered "different" or outside of the normal confines of society, but often they tell stories of people that seem perfectly normal but have terrible experiences that cannot be explained without extensive investigation and exploration. The Latin American crime records are no different, containing information about the way things worked on a regular basis and what happened when someone came forward who did not fit with the typical attitude and structure of society.

The first important piece of information to be noted in this case is that the primary players are all Indians. Catarina Maria was an Indian woman, but was able to file a complaint on her own, without a father or brother doing it on her behalf. Juan, similarly, was given equal rights of trial and access to lawyers. His sister, also an Indian, was the most powerful witness in the case, and could give her testimony without corroboration from a man or a Spaniard. These facts alone show the law system to be less unfair than I would have assumed.

The story of these people seems just as complicated as a television episode as well. Catarina accuses Juan of rape, he claims she seduced him, his sister corroborates the point, other people discuss her sexual exploits in the past... And all of these revelations take place within the system of the courts, through formal testimony and documented statements. Certainly this goes beyond the quick, biased condemnations that are most often associated with the period. In doing show, it gives us evidence for looking at the motivations of people during this time, which were often no different than the desires that motivate people today.

For instance, we can ask what Catarina Maria's motivations were for turning Juan in. Her primary witness, she claimed, was Juan's sister, who ended up testifying against her by relating the contents of her love letters to Juan. Surely she would have known what the sister would say. Perhaps when her family discovered that she was no longer a virgin she accused Juan of rape to throw the blame off of herself, and they encouraged her to press charges. Regardless of her reasoning, the complexity of the case shows that women involved in sexual crimes in the colonial period were not just either an innocent victim or a whore, but could have complicated relationships which affected their sentencing in court.