Francisco Maldonado da Silva facts for kids

Francisco Maldonado da Silva (whose Jewish name was Eliahu Hanazir) was born in 1592 in Argentina. He was a doctor from Argentina who came from a Jewish family. He was sadly executed along with eleven other Jewish people in Lima, Peru, on January 23, 1639. This was part of a very large public event by the Inquisition, a powerful religious court at the time. His life story has been told in a book called Against the Inquisition by the famous Argentine author Marcos Aguinis.

Early Life and Family

Francisco was born in San Miguel de Tucumán, a city in Argentina. His family had Portuguese and Jewish roots. They were known as marranos, which meant they were Jewish people who had to pretend to be Christian to avoid being punished by the authorities. Francisco learned about his Jewish heritage from his father, Diego Nuñez da Silva, who was a Jewish doctor from Europe.

Becoming a Doctor and Embracing His Faith

While Francisco was studying to become a doctor, he also spent time learning about Jewish religious texts and a special Jewish tradition called Kabbalah. After finishing his studies, he started working as a doctor in Chile. During this time, he made a brave decision: he chose to openly practice his Jewish faith and stop pretending to be Christian. He took on the Jewish name Eliahu Hanazir, which people also called Eli Nazareno. He grew his hair and beard long and began signing his name in a way that showed his strong faith.

Because he openly practiced Judaism, he was secretly taken to Lima, Peru. There, he was held in the secret prisons of the Inquisition for six long years. The Inquisition was a religious court that investigated people who did not follow the official teachings of the Catholic Church. During his imprisonment, he was questioned many times by Catholic religious leaders. They tried to convince him to change his beliefs. However, Francisco had an amazing knowledge of his faith. He was accused of a serious crime called "heresy" because he honored the "Law of Moses," which was against the rules of the Holy Inquisition.

His Courage and Legacy

Francisco Maldonado da Silva had been imprisoned since 1627. He was brought before the Colonial Inquisition Court in Lima, Peru. According to a book published in 2010, he was arrested because he tried to convince his two sisters, who had become Catholic, to return to Judaism. Someone reported him to the authorities for this.

Even though he faced great danger, Francisco remained true to his beliefs until the end. He is remembered as a brave person who stood up for his faith. A type of rodent, the Oecomys franciscorum, was named after him and Pope Francis.

See also

In Spanish: Francisco Maldonado da Silva para niños