The Spanish Inquisition in Manila: The First Auto-da-Fé

In 1583, Manila held its first auto-da-fé — a public act of faith that burned two men alive for heresy. But the Spanish Inquisition in the Philippines was never a mirror of its Spanish counterpart. This episode explores how the Tribunal of the Holy Office struggled to assert its authority over a remote colony where distance, local politics, and a polyglot population of Chinese merchants, indigenous converts, and Spanish settlers complicated every case. We focus on the trial of Diego de Oseguera, a Spanish soldier accused of Judaizing, and the 1583 auto-da-fé that set the pattern for decades of religious persecution. Along the way, we meet the Sangley Chinese who refused conversion, the Augustinian and Dominican friars who competed for souls, and the cautious officials in Mexico City who reviewed every sentence. It's a story of faith, fear, and the limits of imperial power on the edge of the Spanish world. #SpanishInquisition #Manila #AutoDaFe #DiegoDeOseguera #Sangley #Philippines #Augustinian #Dominican #FelipeII #Judaizing #Parián #Encomienda #TribunalOfTheHolyOffice #ColonialPhilippines #ReligiousPersecution #History #FexingoHistory #SpanishEmpire Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo