Francisco Marroquín
Spanish bishop
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Francisco Marroquín (1478 – April 18, 1563) was the first bishop of Guatemala,[1][2] translator of Central American languages and provisional Governor of Guatemala.
Most Reverend Francisco Marroquín Hurtado | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Santiago de Guatemala | |
Francisco Marroquín on a Guatemalan stamp | |
| Church | Catholic Church |
| Diocese | Diocese of Santiago de Guatemala |
| In office | 1534–1563 |
| Predecessor | None |
| Successor | Bernardino de Villalpando |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | 8 April 1537 by Juan de Zumárraga |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1478 |
| Died | 19 April 1563 (aged 84–85) |
Biography
Marroquín was born near Santander in 1478.[3] He studied philosophy and theology in Osuna.[4] After entering the priesthood, Marroquín became a professor at the University of Osuna where he met Bishop García de Loaisa, an adviser to Emperor Charles V.[5] Marroquín became a priest in the Spanish royal court.[4] In 1528 the conquistador Pedro de Alvarado, Governor of Guatemala, was in Spain and met Marroquín; he convinced the priest to accompany him back to Guatemala.[6]
After first arriving in Mexico, he traveled onwards to Guatemala with Alvarado, in May 1528. On April 11, 1530, he was appointed parish priest of Guatemala.[7] On December 18, 1534, he was appointed during the papacy of Pope Paul III as Bishop of Santiago de Guatemala[8] and later provisional governor of Guatemala.[7] On April 8, 1537, he was consecrated bishop by Juan de Zumárraga, Archbishop of Mexico, with Juan Lopez de Zárate, Bishop of Antequera, Oaxaca serving as co-consecrator.[8] While bishop, he was the principal consecrator of Tomás Casillas, Bishop of Chiapas (1552) and principal co-consecrator of Antonio de Valdivieso, Bishop of Nicaragua (1544).[8]
Marroquín founded the School of Saint Thomas in 1559 (now the University of San Carlos of Guatemala) as part of his efforts to educate the native people. He became a scholar of the Kʼicheʼ language and published the first catechism in that language.[9]
The Universidad Francisco Marroquín in Guatemala City is named for him.
