Catholic Heroes… St. Toribio Alfonso De Mogrovejo
By CAROLE BRESLIN
Those who wish to attack the Catholic Church usually bring up two “weapons”: the Crusades and the Inquisition, which started in the Middle Ages. The Spanish Inquisition had the most just procedures and did not exile the Jewish people the way England (in 1290) and France (in 1306) did. In the late 16th century, King Philip II of Spain wanted to ensure that the judges were fair and well versed in legal codes, especially those of the Church. Therefore, he appointed a brilliant and devout Catholic, Toribio Alfonso de Mogrovejo.
Toribio, born in 1538, came from a very wealthy and noble family from Mayorga de Campos, Leon, Spain, located 175 miles northwest of Madrid. Although little is known about his parents, Toribio was named after the Spanish saint Turibius of Astorga. Thus, he was raised in a holy, Catholic environment and received a good education.
As a young man, he continued his education by studying law at the University of Salamanca. After graduation he became professor of law at the same university, and became well known as a brilliant scholar with an orthodox understanding of the Catholic faith.
King Philip II, having learned of the merits of Toribio, nominated the young lawyer to be Grand Inquisitor for the Spanish Inquisition. Toribio, opposing such a dignified and controversial post, brought all his learning to bear on resisting this appointment by citing every canon that forbade giving laymen the ecclesiastical dignities. However, King Philip persisted and wrote to the Pope, who approved of the assignment.
After three months of prayer and discernment, Toribio accepted the position, which meant that he needed to be ordained. His archbishop prepared him to be ordained through several of the Holy Orders all in one day, but Toribio insisted that he wanted to spend time preparing for each level of Ordination for at least three days each, in accord with the dignity of the offices.
After Fr. Toribio served a few years as Grand Inquisitor, King Philip II called him to become bishop of Lima, Peru in 1578. Archbishop Cristobal Rojas Sandoval of Seville consecrated Toribio as bishop on May 16, 1579. He set sail in August, 1580 and arrived on May 24, 1581 in Paita, Peru, about 600 miles northwest of Lima on the northwest coast of the country, near the border of Ecuador.
Just as St. José Gabriel del Rosario Brochero found his new flock’s lives in deplorable condition in Argentina, so Bishop Toribio found the situation in Peru. His first action as bishop was walking through this new land, 600 miles to Lima, determined to be a faithful shepherd to his new flock. On the way, he preached, taught, and baptized.
Also like Argentina, the Diocese of Lima was widely dispersed — over 180,000 square miles. Bishop Toribio was not intimidated by the task before him. Witnessing the poor state of the clergy, the corruption of the Spanish officials, and the persecution of the Peruvian people, he decided to make the necessary reforms.
Bishop Toribio did not allow himself to be hesitant or discouraged. With the weapons of holiness, humility, and prudent zeal, he set out to reform the Catholic Church in Peru. As the late Servant of God John A. Hardon, SJ, used to say, “There is work to be done! Let us begin now!”
Armed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit and with the Roman Catechism he began his work. Using the foundations of the truth of God decreed by the Council of Trent (1545-1563) and published in the catechism in the late 1560s, he preached with confidence and charity, drawing many to the Church, and celebrating the sacraments throughout his diocese. He baptized such saints as Rose of Lima and Martin de Porres.
Toribio also labored to reform the clergy and the government officials who abused their positions and persecuted the natives of the land. He would not tolerate misbehaviors and mistreatment of people, and so he challenged sinners to reform. Naturally, he suffered persecution as he championed the cause of the lowly and poor, but received support from another appointment of King Philip II when a new viceroy was sent to Lima. This viceroy, Don Francisco de Toledo, joined with Bishop Toribio to bring justice to the people of Peru.
His pastoral work was a monumental task of visits to the distant villages of Peru. He made the circuit three times, covering all of the many miles of jungle trails. This was no easy task since Peru is partly a tropical country. The heat and humidity are constant throughout the year in some regions, draining the body of its energy. Furthermore, he traveled alone, defenseless and subject to insects and parasites, victim of the storms.
In order to more clearly understand and to be more clearly understood, he spent many hours studying the local dialects — even until the day he died. He loved his flock and knew he could only serve well with proper foundations. No man can continue to work under such arduous conditions and with such resistance without the grace of God. Bishop Toribio’s daily regimen supplied the needed graces: daily Mass, frequent Confession, daily prayer and meditation, as well as penances, fasting, and many hours spent before the Blessed Sacrament.
As time passed, the bishop’s hard work did not lessen. He continued his pastoral visits throughout the land of Peru despite the difficulties.
In March of 1606, he visited the distant port city of Pacasmayo, more than 500 miles from Lima on the northern coast of Peru near Ecuador. He contracted a fever, and even though he predicted the day and time of his death, he continued his pastoral work. He left for Iona, another 50 miles up the coast.
By the time he arrived, he was near death. He crawled to the sanctuary in Iona, where he received Viaticum and died on March 23, 1606. During his 25-year tenure as bishop, Toribio assembled 13 diocesan synods and three provincial councils in addition to his many other labors.
He was beatified by Pope Innocent XI in 1679 and was canonized by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726. His feast is celebrated on March 23.
Dear St. Toribio, your life was dedicated to spreading the truth and fighting heresy in both Spain and South America. As the Church today is under similar attack, help us not to be discouraged. Obtain for us the prudent zeal you possessed and the industriousness you exhibited that we too may save many souls, and prevent persecution of marginalized people. Help us sacrifice and do penance to strengthen those persecuted for standing firm in defending Christ’s teachings. Amen.
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(Carole Breslin home-schooled her four daughters and served as treasurer of the Michigan Catholic Home Educators for eight years. For over ten years, she was national coordinator for the Marian Catechists, founded by Fr. John A. Hardon, SJ.)
