Domingo de Salazar

The Most Reverend Domingo de Salazar O.P.
Bishop of Manila
Province	Manila
See	Manila
Installed	February 6, 1579
Term ended	December 4, 1594
Predecessor	None
Successor	Ignacio Santibáñez, O.F.M.
Personal details
Born	c. 1512 Labastida, Spain
Died	December 4, 1594 (aged 81–82) Madrid, Spain
Nationality	Spanish
Denomination	Catholic

Styles of Obispo Domingo de Salazar
Reference style	Monseñor
Spoken style	Su Excelencia Reverendísima
Religious style	Reverendísimo

Domingo de Salazar (1512 – December 4, 1594) was a Catholic prelate who served as the first Bishop of Manila (1579–94) which was then newly-annexed to the Spanish Empire.

Biography

He was born in La Rioja, Spain. At the age of 15, his family sent him to study at the University of Salamanca, wherein the university was the most important cultural and intellectual center of Spain and one of the famous in the entire European continent. 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 were 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 modern-day US state, Florida from 1558 until 1561. After leaving Mexico City to Florida, Salazar along with Pedro de Feria and Domingo de la Anuciacion 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 was installed in 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.

External links and additional sources

• Cheney, David M. "Archdiocese of Manila". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. Retrieved March 25, 2018. (for Chronology of Bishops) ^{[self-published]}
• Chow, Gabriel. "Metropolitan Archdiocese of Manila". GCatholic.org. Retrieved March 25, 2018. (for Chronology of Bishops) ^{[self-published]}
• Domingo de Salazar profile, newadvent.org; accessed October 12, 2016.