Francisco de Toral

Most Reverend Francisco de Toral
Bishop of Yucatán
Church	Catholic Church
Diocese	Diocese of Yucatán
Predecessor	None
Successor	Diego de Landa
Orders
Consecration	May 24, 1562 by Sancho Díaz de Trujillo
Personal details
Born	1502
Died	April 20, 1571 (age 69)
Nationality	Spanish

Francisco de Toral (1502–1571) was a Franciscan missionary in New Spain, and the first Bishop of Yucatán.

Biography

Francisco de Toral was ordained a priest in the Order of Friars Minor. On November 19, 1561, Francisco de Toral was appointed by Pope Pius IV the first bishop of the Diocese of Yucatán and consecrated bishop on May 24, 1562 by Sancho Díaz de Trujillo, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Plasencia with Fernando de Villagómez, Bishop of the Diocese of Tlaxcala (Puebla de los Angeles), and Juan de Vaca, Bishop of the Diocese of Panamá, as Co-Consecrators.

As part of his effort to Christianize the Indians of New Spain, Toral learned to speak the Nahuatl and Popoloca languages, and compiled a dictionary and grammar of the latter. He also charged Bernardino de Sahagún with the creation of the Historia General de las Cosas de Nueva España. In Yucatán he led an investigation into the alleged abuses of the Maya by Diego de Landa, employing Gaspar Antonio Chi as his interpreter; Landa would eventually be acquitted, and follow Toral as Bishop of Yucatán. He claimed that crosses were being burned, and human sacrifices were made in church. In the end, Mayans were considered innocent, based on the lack of proof. Francisco de Toral served as Bishop of Yucatán until his death on April 20, 1571.