Francisco Marroquín
Francisco Marroquín was the first bishop of Guatemala, translator of Central American languages and provisional Governor of Guatemala.Biography
Marroquín was born near Santander, Spain. He studied philosophy and theology in Osuna. After entering the priesthood, Marroquín became a professor at the University of Osuna where he met Bishop García de Loaisa, an adviser to Emperor Charles V. Marroquín became a priest in the Spanish royal court. In 1528 the conquistador Pedro de Alvarado, Governor of Guatemala, was in Spain and met Marroquín; he convinced the priest to accompany him back to Guatemala.
After first arriving in Mexico, he traveled onwards to Guatemala with Alvarado, in May 1528. On April 11, 1530, he was appointed parish priest of Guatemala. On December 18, 1534, he was appointed during the papacy of Pope Paul III as Bishop of Santiago de Guatemala and later provisional governor of Guatemala. On April 8, 1537, he was consecrated bishop by Juan de Zumárraga, Archbishop of Mexico, with Juan Lopez de Zárate, Bishop of Antequera, Oaxaca serving as co-consecrator. While bishop, he was the principal consecrator of Tomás Casillas, Bishop of Chiapas and principal co-consecrator of Antonio de Valdivieso, Bishop of Nicaragua.
Marroquín founded the School of Saint Thomas in 1559 as part of his efforts to educate the native people. He became a scholar of the K'iche' language and published the first catechism in that language.
The Universidad Francisco Marroquín in Guatemala City is named for him.
