Peruvian researcher and author Rafael Aíta asserts that one of the most widespread beliefs about the evangelization of Peru is also one of the most mistaken: the belief that Catholicism was forcibly imposed upon the Incas.
The period of Inca rule in Peru spanned from 1200 to 1532, while Spanish rule began in 1532 and ended in 1821, the year of the country’s declaration of independence.
In an interview with “EWTN Noticias,” the network’s Spanish-language television news program, the author of the new book “The Catholic Incas” contended that the conversion of many members of the Inca nobility was a far more complex process, marked by dialogue and the discovery of common ground between their beliefs and Christianity.
“I believe the biggest mistake, even among us Catholics, is thinking that our faith was imposed upon us,” Aíta affirmed.
“The numbers donʼt add up, because a small handful of Spaniards cannot convince thousands or hundreds of thousands of people,” Aíta indicated. “What we find in this historic process is a series of convergences that are far removed from imposition and much closer to negotiation,” he explained.
According to Aíta, who is also known on social media as Capitán Perú (Captain Peru), the encounter with Christianity sparked interest among the panacas (the family clans of the Inca nobility), who found similarities between certain aspects of their worldview and the Christian message.
“The first to convert were Incas. I am not speaking only of Atahualpa, whom many would say was baptized to avoid being burned to death. After him, there were other Incas who voluntarily requested baptism,” he stated.
The historian also highlighted a little-known episode in Peruvian history: the founding of the first parish in Cusco.
“The San Cristóbal parish was founded by an Inca, the son of Huayna Capac. It was not founded by a Spaniard, nor even by a priest. An Inca founded the first chapel that later became the first parish in Cusco,” Aíta pointed out.
He recounted that his interest in reexamining Peruʼs history began during his first visit to Machu Picchu. “That was when I realized there was much more to it than what I had been taught in class,” he recalled.
Upon returning to Cusco, Aíta began reading historians such as María Rostworowski, José Antonio del Busto, and Donato Amado.
“I discovered an entire history that, unfortunately, is not taught. If what they wrote reached the schools, it would not only change the history of Peru; it would change the way we see our country,” Aíta asserted.
Corpus Christi and the Catholic Incas
A prime example Aíta presents in “The Catholic Incas” is the set of traditional Corpus Christi paintings housed in the Archbishopʼs Palace in Cusco.
Aíta explained that one of these paintings depicts the Incaʼs royal standard-bearer walking behind the monstrance carrying the Eucharist. Instead of wearing the traditional imperial tassel on his head, a servant carries it ahead of him on a cushion.
“He is placing the Incaʼs crown at the feet of Jesus Christ, who is the Eucharistic Sun,” he explained.
“The Incas worshipped the sun, but through the Gospel, they discovered that the true Sun is Jesus Christ. For them, the feast of Corpus Christi brought the ancient festival of the Sun to its fulfillment, because the Sun was now present among them,” he added.
Consequently, he noted that the solemnity of Corpus Christi became one of Cuscoʼs most important religious celebrations and continues to draw massive public participation to this day.
The historian noted that his book includes documents, paintings, and other historical evidence that demonstrates the presence of Inca nobility who fully embraced the Catholic faith.
Among these, he cited the portrait of Marcos Inca, a member of royal Lloque Yupanqui lineage, who is depicted bearing the symbols of Inca nobility alongside the inscription “Inca, Catholic knight by the grace of God.”
As Aíta sees it, this evidence helps explain why Catholicism remains deeply rooted in Peru.
“Faith remains so important in Peru to this day because it is part of our roots, not something imposed. Had it been imposed, we would have changed once the Spaniards left. Yet the Spaniards departed, and we carried on, perhaps even more Catholic than they were,” he concluded.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
