protested through his attorneys, the fiscal Pedro Melian and the maestre de campo Antonio de Vergara y Urrutia, but was overruled by the viceroy Salvatierra, who, advised by his asesor, excluded the audiencia from jurisdiction in the matter,[1] and declared the appointment to be valid. The archbishop of Mexico, Mañosca, having given a similar decision, the Jesuit provincial boldly demanded the nullification of the bishop's decree, and that the fathers at Puebla be restored to their former ministries.
This request was but too easily granted by the judges, who on April 2, 1647, pronounced a decision jommanding the bishop to revoke within six days the penalties imposed, grant provisional absolution to the persons concerned, reinstall the fathers in the offices of which they had been deprived, and revoke whatever had been printed during the controversy. The bishop and his vicar-general were to become liable to the greater excommunication and to heavy fines in case of non-compliance, and to more severe penalties, as general interdict, for continued disobedience.[2] Through the influence of the comisario general of the Franciscans, Palafox obtained a temporary delay from the viceroy, but Jesuit intrigues were brought to bear on the latter and his asesor, and the order remained in force.
About the same time a libel was published, defending the policy of the society. The state of affairs now became exciting. The bishop and his provisor excommunicated several teachers in the Jesuit college. In return the judges imposed upon them the same penalty for their disobedience. The inhabitants of Puebla were in a serious dilemma, as on the one hand they
- ↑ On the ground that the oidores were subject to the bishop as visitador. This was true, but the law provided for such cases, and the viceroy could never concentrate in his own person the entire jurisdiction. Salvatierra was in fact reprimanded by the king for his illegal conduct.
- ↑ Guijo adds that the bishop's property at Puebla was sequestered by the alcalde mayor, Agustin de Valdés, and that he was suspended as visitador. The text of the sentence is given in Alegre, Hist. Comp. Jesus, ii. 293-7, and in Palafox, Obras, xii. 113-16.
