Who was Bartolomé de las Casas and what was his influence in the Philippine islands in the 1600s? These questions were answered by Rev. fr. Felix delos Reyes, O.P. of UST’s Center for Thomistic Studies (CTS). Fr. delos Reyes presented his paper in the Fifth International Conference on Bartolomé de las Casas, held from June 17-21, 2025 in the Facultad de Teología San Isidoro de Sevilla by the Societas Lascasiana.
The paper focused on how the teachings of Las Casas haped the early Church in the Philippines. Focusing on the Dominican bishops Domingo de Salazar and Miguel de Benavides, fr. delos Reyes showed how both adhered to the Thomistic doctrine that rational creatures inherently possess dignity and moral worth. He contended that their commitment to justice and human rights demonstrates that Las Casas’s ideas extended beyond the Atlantic, reaching the shores of the Pacific and shaping the moral landscape of early Spanish governance in the Philippines.
The scholars framed their contributions to the conference around the theme “From the Indies to Seville: Las Casas and the Renovation of Humanism.” Seville was chosen, as it was both the birthplace of Las Casas and a major departure point for Catholic missionaries bound for the New World.
