Pedro de Gante

Brother Pedro de Gante

Pieter van der Moere, also known as Brother Pedro de Gante or Pedro de Mura (c. 1480 – 1572) was a Franciscan missionary in sixteenth century Mexico. Born in Geraardsbergen in present-day Belgium, he was of Flemish descent. Since Flanders, like Spain, belonged to the Habsburg Empire and he was a relative of King Charles V (he was thought to be a bastard son of Emperor Maximilian I[1]), he was allowed to travel to the colonies of New Spain as one of a group of Franciscan friars. Gante's group in fact arrived before the 12 Franciscans normally thought of as the first friars in New Spain. In Mexico he spent his life as a missionary, teaching the indigenous population in Christian catechism and dogma. He learned Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, and composed a Christian "doctrina". One of his most significant contributions to Mexico was the creation of the School of San Jose de los Naturales. This was the first school set up by Europeans in the Americas.[2][3][4]

In 1988 he was beatified, by Pope John Paul II. He was ranked 99th in a 2005 vote on the list of Greatest Belgians (De Grootste Belg).

Missionary Work and Evangelization

Pedro de Gante was among the earliest Franciscan missionaries to arrive in New Spain, reaching Mexico in 1523, several years before the better-known group known as the Twelve Franciscan Apostles.[5] His missionary activity focused primarily on the Indigenous populations of central Mexico, particularly Nahua communities.

Gante distinguished himself by learning Nahuatl, the principal Indigenous language of the region, which enabled him to communicate Christian teachings directly to native audiences without reliance on interpreters.[6] His evangelization strategy emphasized instruction, persuasion, and cultural adaptation rather than coercion, aligning with early Franciscan ideals of peaceful conversion.

Education and Pedagogical Innovation

Education was central to Pedro de Gante’s missionary method. He is widely regarded as the founder of the first formal schools for Indigenous peoples in the Americas.[7] He initially established a school in Texcoco and later founded the **School of San José de los Naturales** in Mexico City, which became a major center for Indigenous education in the early colonial period.

These institutions provided instruction not only in Christian doctrine but also in reading, writing, music, the visual arts, and various practical crafts.[8] Gante believed that education should be integrated into daily life and tailored to the cultural and intellectual context of Indigenous students.

He authored one of the earliest Christian catechetical works in Nahuatl, commonly known as the *Doctrina Christiana en Lengua Mexicana*, which employed pictorial elements and simplified language to aid comprehension.[9] His use of Indigenous language and visual pedagogy represented a significant innovation in missionary education.

Advocacy for Indigenous Peoples

Pedro de Gante was also known for his advocacy on behalf of Indigenous communities. In several letters addressed to Emperor Charles V and later to Philip II of Spain, he criticized abuses committed by colonial authorities, including excessive tribute demands and forced labor.[10] He argued that such practices were incompatible with Christian ethics and undermined evangelization efforts.

Legacy

Because of his pioneering role in education, Pedro de Gante has often been referred to in historical scholarship as *“the first teacher of the Americas.”* His educational model influenced subsequent Franciscan and other missionary initiatives throughout New Spain and beyond.[11] Many of his Indigenous students later became artisans, musicians, and local leaders, contributing to the cultural and religious formation of early colonial society.

Works

The 1553 manuscript of Doctrina Christiana by Pedro de Gante kept at Benson Latin American Collection, University of Texas, Austin
Catechism

Manuscripts

  • Catecismo de la doctrina cristiana con jeroglíficos, para la enseñanza de los indios de México: Madrid, Archivo Histórico Nacional, Códice 1257B.

Published Works

  • Doctrina Christiana en Lengua Mexicana. Per signum crucis. Icamachiotl cruz yhuicpain toya chua Xitech momaquixtili Totecuiyoc diose. Ica inmotocatzin. Tetatzin yhuan Tepilizin yhuan Spiritus Sancti. Amen Jesús (first published ca. 1547, Mexico: Juan Pablos; 1553, Amberes; 1553, Mexico: Juan Pablos, 1555. Facsimile edition with comments by ed. Ernesto de la Torre Villar (Mexico, 1981).
  • Catecismo de la doctrina cristiana con jeroglíficos, para la enseñanza de los indios de México, Facsimile edition with comments by Federico Navarro (Madrid, 1970) / Justino Cortés Castellanos, El catecismo en pictogramas de Fr. Pedro de Gante (Madrid, 1987).
  • Cartas, versos religiosos en mejicano, ed. en: Joaquín García Icazbalceta, Códice franciscano (Mexico, 1941), 212ff.

References

  1. ^ "Pieter van Gent", p. 244 in De Markanten, Uitgeverij Davidsfonds, Leuven, ISBN 978 90 5826 654 5
  2. ^ Verlinden, Charles 1986. Fray Pedro de Gante y su época. Revista de Historia de América, No. 101 (Jan. – Jun., 1986), pp. 105–131 [1](in Spanish)
  3. ^ Grass, Roland. 1965. America's First Linguists: Their Objectives and Methods. Hispania, Vol. 48, No. 1 (Mar., 1965), pp. 57–66 [2]
  4. ^ Torre Villar, Ernesto de la. 1974. Fray Pedro de Gante: Maestro y civilizador de America. Estudios de Historia Novohispana V. 9 – 77. [3] Archived 2013-10-29 at the Wayback Machine (in Spanish)
  5. ^ Ricard, Robert (1966). The Spiritual Conquest of Mexico. University of California Press. pp. 52–54.
  6. ^ "Pedro de Gante". Encyclopaedia Britannica.
  7. ^ González González, Enrique (2012). "Fray Pedro de Gante y la educación indígena". Estudios de Historia Novohispana: 25–47.
  8. ^ Burkhart, Louise M. (2001). Before Guadalupe: The Virgin Mary in Early Colonial Nahuatl Literature. Institute of Latin American Studies, University of Texas.
  9. ^ León-Portilla, Miguel (1986). "La evangelización según fray Pedro de Gante". Revista de Indias: 147–170.
  10. ^ Zavala, Silvio (1992). La defensa de los derechos del indio en la época colonial. Fondo de Cultura Económica.
  11. ^ Ricard, Robert (1966). The Spiritual Conquest of Mexico. University of California Press.

Media related to Pedro de Gante at Wikimedia Commons

allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pieter_van_der_Moere