Editing Bartolomé de las Casas (section)

===Las Casas as a Dominican friar===
Devastated, Las Casas reacted by entering the Dominican monastery of Santa Cruz in [[Santo Domingo]] as a novice in 1522 and finally taking holy vows as a [[Dominican order|Dominican]] [[friar]] in 1523.<ref>{{harvcoltxt|Wagner|Parish|1967|pp=70–72}}</ref> There he continued his theological studies, being particularly attracted to [[Thomism|Thomist]] philosophy. He oversaw the construction of a monastery in [[Puerto Plata (city)|Puerto Plata]] on the north coast of Hispaniola, subsequently serving as [[Prior (ecclesiastical)|prior]] of the convent. In 1527 he began working on his ''History of the Indies'', in which he reported much of what he had witnessed first hand in the conquest and colonization of New Spain. In 1531, he wrote a letter to [[García Fernández Manrique, 3rd Count of Osorno|Garcia Manrique]], [[Count of Osorno]], protesting again the mistreatment of the Indians and advocating a return to his original reform plan of 1516. In 1531, a complaint was sent by the encomenderos of Hispaniola that Las Casas was again accusing them of mortal sins from the pulpit. In 1533 he contributed to the establishment of a peace treaty between the Spanish and the rebel [[Taíno]] band of chief [[Enriquillo]].<ref>{{harvcoltxt|Wagner|Parish|1967|pp=74–78}}</ref> In 1534, Las Casas made an attempt to travel to [[Peru]] to observe the first stages of [[Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire|conquest of that region]] by [[Francisco Pizarro]]. His party made it as far as [[Panama]], but had to turn back to [[Nicaragua]] due to adverse weather. Lingering for a while in the Dominican convent of [[Granada, Nicaragua|Granada]], he got into conflict with Rodrigo de Contreras, Governor of Nicaragua, when Las Casas vehemently opposed slaving expeditions by the Governor.<ref>{{harvcoltxt|Wagner|Parish|1967|pp=79–84}}</ref> In 1536, Las Casas followed a number of friars to [[Guatemala]], where they began to prepare to undertake a mission among the [[Maya peoples|Maya]] Indians. They stayed in the convent founded some years earlier by Fray [[Domingo Betanzos]] and studied the [[Kʼicheʼ language]] with Bishop [[Francisco Marroquín]], before traveling into the interior region called Tuzulutlan, "The Land of War", in 1537.<ref>{{harvcoltxt|Wagner|Parish|1967|p=85}}</ref>

[[File:Motolinia.jpg|upright|thumb|[[Toribio de Benavente Motolinia|Toribio de Benavente "Motolinia"]], Las Casas's Franciscan adversary.]]

Also in 1536, before venturing into Tuzulutlan, Las Casas went to [[Oaxaca]], [[Mexico]], to participate in a series of discussions and debates among the bishops of the Dominican and [[Franciscan order]]s. The two orders had very different approaches to the conversion of the Indians. The Franciscans used a method of mass conversion, sometimes baptizing many thousands of Indians in a day. This method was championed by prominent Franciscans such as [[Toribio de Benavente]], known as "Motolinia", and Las Casas made many enemies among the Franciscans for arguing that conversions made without adequate understanding were invalid. Las Casas wrote a treatise called "''De unico vocationis modo''" (On the Only Way of Conversion) based on the missionary principles he had used in Guatemala. Motolinia would later be a fierce critic of Las Casas, accusing him of being all talk and no action when it came to converting the Indians.<ref>{{harvcoltxt|Wagner|Parish|1967|pp=98–100}}</ref> As a direct result of the debates between the Dominicans and Franciscans and spurred on by Las Casas's treatise, [[Pope Paul III]] promulgated the [[Papal bull|Bull]] ''[[Sublimis Deus]]'', which stated that the Indians were rational beings and should be brought peacefully to the faith as such.<ref>{{harvcoltxt|Giménez Fernández|1971|p=89}}</ref>

Las Casas returned to Guatemala in 1537 wanting to employ his new method of conversion based on two principles: 1) to preach the Gospel to all men and treat them as equals, and 2) to assert that conversion must be voluntary and based on knowledge and understanding of the faith. It was important for Las Casas that this method be tested without meddling from secular colonists, so he chose a territory in the heart of Guatemala where there were no previous colonies and where the natives were considered fierce and war-like. Because the land had not been possible to conquer by military means, the governor of Guatemala, [[Alonso de Maldonado]], agreed to sign a contract promising that if the venture was successful he would not establish any new encomiendas in the area. Las Casas's group of friars established a Dominican presence in [[Rabinal]], [[Sacapulas]], and [[Cobán]]. Through the efforts of Las Casas's missionaries the so-called "Land of War" came to be called "[[Verapaz, Guatemala|Verapaz]]", "True Peace". Las Casas's strategy was to teach Christian songs to merchant Indian Christians who then ventured into the area. In this way he was successful in converting several native chiefs, among them those of [[Lago de Atitlán|Atitlán]] and [[Chichicastenango]], and in building several churches in the territory named [[Alta Verapaz Department|Alta Verapaz]]. These congregated a group of Christian Indians in the location of what is now the town of Rabinal.<ref>{{harvcoltxt|Wagner|Parish|1967|pp=86–93}}</ref> In 1538 Las Casas was recalled from his mission by Bishop Marroquín who wanted him to go to [[Mexico]] and then on to [[Spain]] to seek more Dominicans to assist in the mission.<ref>{{harvcoltxt|Wagner|Parish|1967|pp=94–95}}</ref> Las Casas left Guatemala for Mexico, where he stayed for more than a year before setting out for Spain in 1540.