Domingo de Salazar

Domingo de Salazar (1512 – December 4, 1594) was a Catholic Dominican prelate who served as the first Bishop of Manila (1579–1594), which was then newly-annexed to the Spanish Empire.

Biography

Domingo de Salazar was born in La Rioja, Spain. At the University of Salamanca, Salazar was profoundly influenced by the philosopher and theologian Francisco de Vitoria, wherein many of the solutions that Salazar tried to offer when it came to the theological and juridicial problems in the Philippines, were inspired by Vitoria. He obtained his bachelor's degree in Canon Law in the year 1532 and afterwards obtained his Bachelor of Civil Laws in 1539. There was no concrete evidence to point the idea that Salazar actually enrolled in the classes taught by Vitoria, but he supported the cause of Vitoria, the humanitarian and Christian ideas with regards to the conquest and evangelization of the Americas.

Salazar was also involved in the Spanish expedition in the modern-day US state of Florida from 1558 until 1561. After leaving Mexico City to Florida, Salazar, along with Pedro de Feria and Domingo de la Anunciación, wrote a letter to King Philip II that all laws enacted for the new discoveries and conquest had to be fulfilled by the participants in the expedition so that abuses against the natives would be avoided and there must be enough provisions that should be given to the expeditionaries for at least a period of time, so that robberies against the locals would be avoided.

On February 6, 1579, he was selected by the King of Spain and confirmed by Pope Gregory XIII as the first Bishop of Manila. He arrived in Manila on September 17, 1581. He strongly opposed enslaving the indigenous people of the Philippines. He served as Bishop of Manila until his death on December 4, 1594, aged 82.

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