Reflection Essay- The Mission
CHOOSE ONE:
1. It is 1767, The “Guarani Wars” are over, and Mendoza has survived. He has been jailed by Spanish authorities, and is now in court, charged with treason against Spain, punishable by death. You are his lawyer. The facts you have to work with are those in the film, and the “Jesuit Mission” handout. Write an opening statement in his defense.
2. You are the Papal emissary, Altamirano. You have been sent, as in the movie, to inspect the state of the Jesuit reducciones and to make a recommendation to the Pope regarding what should happen. Write a report to the Pope, summarizing what you have found, and concluding with your recommendation.
3. You are a Spanish captain participating in the attacks against the Jesuit missions. You are serious, ambitious, and tough—but you are also a person of intelligence and conscience. Write a letter to your family back in Spain explaining what you are doing, and why.
4. You are Father Gabriel. The Spanish attackers are closing in, and soon your missions will be destroyed. One of the young Guarani asks you why you will not fight. What will you tell the Guarani boy?
5. You are a modern-day Jesuit priest. You meet a modern-day descendant of the Guarani. He tells you that the Jesuits of the 17th and 18th Century were no better than the slave-traders or the Conquistadors. Do you agree with him? Disagree? Write a letter to your Guarani friend which summarizes how you feel, on the whole, about the Jesuit missions.
