"Enemies of the State": the detention in Spain of missionaries from the northern Frontier of México after the Jesuit Expulsión.

Abstract

In 1767, Spanish King Carlos III ordered the expulsion of the members of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) from all Spanish dominions. The King ordered the Jesuits to be sent to the Papal States in Italy. However, a small number of Jesuits who had staffed missions on the north Mexican frontier were held in captivity in Spain, as “enemies of the state.” They had knowledge of the frontier, and royal officials feared they might provide this information to Spain`s enemies. This prosoprographic study analysis the profile of the missionaries, and their fate following the Jesuit expulsion. It also compares this group of missionaries with another group, the Jesuits stationed on the missions among the Guaraní in South America. Those that survived the trip to Europe went into exile in Italy. They were not deemed to be a security threat.