PROTESTATION

In whatever I may say in this book, I submit to what our Mother, the Holy Roman Church Teresa emphasizes her loyalty to the Catholic Church to protect herself and her work from the Spanish Inquisition, which was highly suspicious of mystical writings during the 16th century., teaches; if I write anything contrary to this, it will be unintentionally. Therefore, I beg of the theologians Scholars who specialize in the study of God and religious doctrine. who are to read it, for the love of our Lord, to examine it carefully and to correct any such faults as well as any other defects it may possess. If it has any good in it, may it be for the honour and glory of God and the service of His most holy Mother, our patron and our Lady Refers to the Virgin Mary, the patroness of the Carmelite Order to which Teresa belonged., whose habit The distinctive clothing worn by members of a religious order; for Teresa, this was the brown and white dress of the Carmelites. I wear, although most unworthy of it.

This formal declaration of faith, while not found in Teresa’s original handwritten manuscripts, was written by her for the specific purpose of the printed edition published in Evora, Portugal, after her death in 1582.