A Jesuit and Novohispanic perspective on death. Reflections on the funeral sermon and honors of father Francisco Javier Lazcano (1762)

Abstract

This article analyzes the concept of death in 18th-century New Spain through the study of the funeral honors and sermon of the Jesuit Francisco Javier Lazcano. From a theological and sociocultural perspective, it highlights the values and beliefs conveyed by the Society of Jesus, which influenced both education and the Novohispanic elites. This approach reveals how Jesuit funeral practices not only reflected the precepts of the Council of Trent but also operated as mechanisms of social and spiritual cohesion in a historical context marked by the tension between religious orthodoxy and the dawn of Enlightenment modernity. The article contributes to understanding the dynamics between religion, death, and society, emphasizing the role of the funeral sermon as a pedagogical and doctrinal tool.