Eleventh International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

The study revisits the lived experiences and contributions of two Dominican missionaries from Spain who both served as Archbishops of Manila namely: Domingo de Salazar, OP and Miguel de Benavides, OP. Both men were shaped by the Salamanca School which produced Francisco de Vitoria known as the Father of International Law and Bartolome de las Casas who was branded the Spanish Defender of the Aztecs. Both also proved to be adherents of Thomism, emphasizing the Angelic Doctor’s views on Justice and Love as expressed in Summa Theologica. Using the precepts of Phenomenology, their experiences in mission, and influences of the Salamanca School and Thomism in their lives and writings are examined. Their experiences at Salamanca ignited their notable choice of fighting for human rights even before that concept became a standard of the world, even if it entailed being at odds with their fellow Spaniards during their mission in the newly established Spanish colony of Las Islas de Filipinas.