Acefalía episcopal y relajamiento disciplinar : el clero tucumano durante la sede vacante de 1704-1715

Abstract

Tras la muerte del obispo fray Manuel de Mercadillo, en 1704, se inició una larga sede vacante que duró hasta el año 1715, cuando el chileno Alonso del Pozo y Silva fue designado para la mitra tucumana. Durante esos once años, dominó una visible relajación de la disciplina entre los clérigos, que era motivo de gran escándalo en la región. La situación fue análoga en otros espacios de la monarquía española debido a que numerosas diócesis se encontraban acéfalas de obispos, puesto que tras el quiebre de las relaciones entre Felipe V y la Santa Sede se había interrumpido la normal provisión de cargos episcopales (1709-1717).

Following the death of Bishop Fray Manuel de Mercadillo in 1704, the seat remained vacant until 1715, when the Chilean Alonso del Pozo y Silva was appointed head of the Tucumán diocese. During those eleven years there was a visible disciplinary easement among clerics who were the subject of great scandal within the region. This also occurred in other parts of the Spanish monarchy as many dioceses had no bishops because, after the breakdown of relations between Philip V and the Holy See, the normal supply of pontifical posts was interrupted (1709-1717). The government authorities in Tucumán, took the initiative to correct some of the clergy’s behavior through a series of regulations. However, these actions met with the apathy of much of the Cathedral Chapter and the hostility of the archdeacon, and later dean, Gabriel Ponce de León. In this paper I intend to research the struggles for power and governance of the diocese linked to the study of the patronage and sponsorship networks in force during the vacant seat in order to shed light on the vested interests concerning diocesan control.