This week in Christian history: Icelandic saint dies, Christmas bombings in Nigeria

Bartolomé de las Casas meets with the king of Spain – Dec. 24, 1515

This week marks the anniversary of when Bartolomé de las Casas, the Franciscan friar known for his advocacy for the rights of Native Americans, met with Spanish King Ferdinand.

Hailing from a prominent family that profited from the exploitation of indigenous Americans, Las Casas came to abhor the abuses of the Spanish colonists and spoke out against them.

On Christmas Eve 1515, Las Casas met with King Ferdinand to discuss the issue of Native American rights, with the friar eventually being given opportunities to propose reforms.

“After Ferdinand’s death in 1516, … Las Casas presented his exposé and reform plan to the new administration,” wrote the Rev. David Orique in 2017. “In recognition of his efforts, Las Casas was appointed Procurador o protector universal de todos los indios de las Indias.”

“After becoming a Dominican friar and for the rest of his life, he also continued the scholarly activity of writing. In all of these writings, Friar Bartolomé emphasized peaceful and persuasive evangelization as well as denounced the wars of conquest and the enslavement of Indigenous peoples.”