Question

Which of the following best describes the reasons friars and Jesuits went to the colonies?

A)They went to serve the native peoples who had become Christians years earlier.

B)They went in search of gold and glory.

C)They went to find new lands, wildlife, and fauna.

D)They went to convert the native peoples to Catholicism.

Answer 1

D. They Went to Convert the native people to Catholicism

Answer 2

Friars and Jesuits went to the colonies to convert the native peoples to Catholicism (Option D). The Jesuits first began working with native peoples in Brazil in 1549, and in 1697 they first came into contact with the Native Americans in what is now called California. The Jesuits respected the Natives' customs; they adapted and accommodated to the Natives' lifestyle by learning their languages as well as respecting their social systems. The Jesuits were missionary groups whose main objective was to evangelize the native people so as to convert them to Catholicism. For that reason, the Jesuits began to learn the native languages as a way of carrying their message to the people in order to accomplish their spiritual mission.