Captain Sebastián  Vaz de Azevedo

• General Notes
  • p 88-92.  He was "a commander on the high seas and provider for the fleet of Barlovento."  Married to an Old Christian, "who is a close relative of the minister of this Holy Office."  (both quotes, p.88).  Parents:  Felipe Vaz de Azevedo, alias Felipe Vaz de Lisboa, and Leonor de Azevedo.  An interesting case of the Holy Office defending a Portuguese man accused of being a judaizer, p. 89.  He asked a Catholic woman if he confessed to judaizing before being denounced, would he be able to keep his properties and not have to wear a sambenito.  "The only thing that stopped him from confessing was that innate greediness which is endemic in Judaizers..." p. 89.  "Among the different factions of Judaizers in this city, one of the groups was that of Sebastian Vaz de Azevedo." (ibid).  His sister: Blanca Enriquez.  Although he was accused of being a judaizer, he attended the services of the Descalced Franciscans of Santa Isabel every Holy Thursday.  "On these days, he was accompanied by splendid Castilian gentlemen and some Portuguese.  Almost all of the latter were imprisoned because they were Judaizers." p. 91. "Knowing full well that he was a New Christian, he said that he did know what his ancestors were, referring to his documents which he had bound in velvet as theough this made them true."
    
    This deserves to be quoted at length :  "For more than eighteen years, he attended the religious services of the Barefoot [Discalced] Religious Franciscans of Saint Isabel here in Mexico City on Holy Thursday.  He went in order to be given the key of the Sagrario...in which the Holy Sacrament was kept.  On these days, he was accompanied by splendid Castillian gentlemen and some Portuguese.  Almost all of the latter were later imprisoned because they were Judaizers."  IMPORTANT.