Of the dioceses in this kingdom of Peru, who are the bishops of them,
and of the Royal Chancellery in the City of Kings.
In many parts of this work I have treated of the rites and customs of
the Indians, and of the many temples and places of worship they had,
where the devil was seen and adored by them. It will now be well to
mention the dioceses, and who those are who rule the churches and have
charge of so many souls.
After the discovery of this kingdom, as the very reverend father Don
Fray Vincente Valverde[547] was in the conquest, he received Bulls from
the Supreme Pontiff, and was nominated as bishop by his Majesty. He held
the post until the Indians killed him in the island of Puna. Afterwards,
as the Spaniards founded new cities, the number of bishops was
increased. The very reverend father Don Juan Solano,[548] of the order
of San Domingo, was made Bishop of Cuzco, and is so still in 1550, the
diocese extending to Guamanga,[549] Arequipa, and the new city of La
Paz. The most reverend father Don Jeronymo de Loaysa,[550] a friar of
the same order, has been nominated archbishop of the City of the Kings,
with a diocese reaching to Plata, Truxillo, Huanuco, and
Chachapoyas.[551] Don Garcia Diaz Arias is bishop of the city of San
Francisco del Quito, including San Miguel, Puerto Viejo, and Guayaquil.
He has his seat in Quito, which is the chief place in the diocese. The
bishop of the government of Popayan is Don Juan Valle. These fathers
were the bishops of this kingdom when I left it, and they have the duty
to perform of placing clergymen to celebrate mass in the towns and
villages. The government of this kingdom is so good, in these times,
that the Indians are complete masters of their goods and persons. By the
will of God the former tyranny and ill-treatment of Indians have ceased,
for He cures all things by his grace. Royal audiences and chancelleries
have been established, composed of learned men, who give an example to
others by their incorruptible justice, and who have established the
rules for the payment of tribute. The excellent lord Don Antonio de
Mendoza,[552] a knight as full of valour and other virtues as he is
wanting in bad qualities, is the viceroy; and the licentiate Andres de
Cianca, the doctor Bravo de Saravia, and the licentiate Hernando de
Santillan are the judges. The court and royal chancellery are
established in the City of the Kings.
I will conclude this chapter by saying that, when the lords of his
Majesty’s council of the Indies were examining my work, the very
reverend father Fray Don Tomas de San Martin was appointed bishop of
Charcas. His diocese commences at the limit of that of Cuzco, and
extends to Chile and Tucuman, including the city of La Paz and the town
of Plata, which is the seat of this new bishopric.