Note 23 — Chapter X · THE AUDIENCIA AND THE CHURCH: THE ROYAL PATRONAGE

The jurisdiction of the audiencia under the royal patronage extended to practically all classes of churchmen and church affairs.23 By the cédulas of August 4, 1574, and of October 25, 1667, the audiencia acquired the right of passing on the credentials of prelates who came to the Islands. That tribunal was entrusted with the duty of seeing that bishops and archbishops carried with them the duly attested confirmation of the Council of the Indies, and no prelate was allowed to leave the Islands unless he had the permission of the governor or audiencia.24 The tribunal exercised a check on the governor in this particular and saw to it that in granting this permission he did not show favoritism or otherwise violate the laws of the royal patronage.