Death Comes for the Archbishop

Latour and Jacinto ride together to Taos. It’s Latour’s first official visit to the city. Its inhabitants are hostile to newcomers and regard all Europeans but Spaniards as gringos. The local priest, Father Martínez, is corrupt and rules his parishes dictatorially. When he meets Martínez, Latour can clearly see from Martínez’s clothing and horse that he values the finer things in life. In addition, Latour immediately notes Martínez’s imposing figure and commanding presence. At Martínez’s home, Latour learns that Martínez has several children and doesn’t feel that priests should be celibate. He’s openly dismissive of Rome and the Pope’s authority, and Latour is troubled by his loose interpretation of St. Augustine’s teachings on celibacy. Martínez openly led an uprising at Taos Pueblo, and although the Indigenous men who fought with him were hanged, Martínez himself avoided prosecution and cheated his men out of their landholdings. He has many small farms and haciendas in the area and is widely considered a dishonest man.

Martínez’s home is dirty, and Latour is sure that he habitually has sex with the women he employs. He’s training a young man, Trinidad, for the priesthood, and it seems likely that Trinidad is actually his son, born out of wedlock with one of Martínez’s parishioners.