THE KIDNAPPED RELIGION by BIBLIOTECA JUAN MANUEL OCHOA TORRES

GIOVANNI TORRICELLI

THE KIDNAPPED RELIGION

CONTENTS PROLOGUE

.......................................................

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATION ..................................

CHAPTER I

PRIESTLY CELIBACY .................................. ORIGIN .................................................. BIBLICAL FOUNDATIONS ............................... CONSEQUENCES ........................................

9 9 10 13

CHAPTER II

CHRISTIAN PRAYER .................................. ORIGIN AND EXAMPLE ................................. THE ROSARY ............................................ BIBLICAL FOUNDATIONS ............................... CONSEQUENCES ........................................

17 17 18 20 26

CHAPTER III

PAPAL AUTHORITY .................................. PAPAL INFALLIBILITY .................................... BIBLICAL FOUNDATIONS ............................... CONSEQUENCES ........................................ ABORTION ............................................... INFANT MORTALITY ..................................... SOCIAL-POLITICAL CONFLICTS ........................ ECOLOGY ................................................ COUNTRIES WITH LOW DEMOGRAPHIC GROWTH ... FAMILY PLANNING – UNNATURAL? ..................

29 29 34 42 46 47 48 50 53 54

CHAPTER IV

IMAGES ................................................... BIBLICAL FOUNDATIONS ............................... THE VIRGIN OF GUADALUPE .......................... 1531-1648 ....................................... 1648-1850 ....................................... 1850-2002 ....................................... SUPPORT FOR THE APPARITION .......................

57 58 60

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SAINTS .................................................... INTERNAL IGNORANCE ................................. PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES ........................... INTRINSIC HOLINESS? ................................. POWER OF JUDGMENT ................................. THE SANCTIFICATION PROCESS ....................... ORIGINS OF THE CUSTOM .............................

97 97 100 102 108 109 110

APPENDIX “A” LETTER FROM A PRIEST TO THE POPE. .................. APPENDIX “B” THE CONVERSATION OF MOHAMMAD’S DAUGHTER FATIMA ABOUT TASBIH (THE ROSARY) ............. APPENDIX “C” SAINT CYRIL, ARCHBISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA. ........ TWO VISIONS. ............................................

125

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PROLOGUE A few days ago I heard a sociologist on an interesting radio program pondering the importance of the following thought: “Every complaint is a gift.” She was convinced that a criticism or admonition was something we should appreciate. I cannot deny that this assertion was initially surprising to me. How could it be possible that a rebuke or criticism should be something we feel thankful for? While this lady shared her point of view, I could not avoid recognizing that she was effectively correct. A “complaint,” in the majority of occasions, is something that should make us reflect seriously. It is a type of alarm that indicates that something that we do requires our immediate attention, before it worsen things. This reflection is something that would not happen if the “complainer” simply decided to prudently remain silent. This sociologist convincingly argued that, for this reason, a complaint or suggestion, if it is seen from the correct perspective, constitutes a type of gift that makes those who are capable of reacting favorably become, over time, people, businesses or organizations that are highly successful and trustworthy, focused on serving, more than on being served. On the contrary, those who feel they are possessors of some absolute truth, who claim that others should adjust to them, surely have an uncertain future.

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With this book I am trying to respectfully suggest to those who lead the Catholic Church that they should rectify, where they can, some doctrinal deviations that, from the point of view of this author, though apparently inoffensive, not only go against basic doctrinal principles but also have proved unfortunate. If, involuntarily, I made some mistakes in this book, I ask the readers to let me know. I assure you I will receive your complaint or suggestion just as I have mentioned above, as a gift, and a sincere call to correct something. I am fully aware of my own limitations. In this sense I have adopted an attitude similar to the one manifested by Don Joaquín García Icazbalceta,1 when he expressed his opinion to the Archbishop Don Pelagio Antonio de Labastida y Dávalos,2 related to a historical analysis about the appearances of the Virgin of Guadalupe: “If against my intention, by pure ignorance, some word or sentence that sounds incorrect has escaped me, from now on consider it not written.” But, at the same time, do not throw away my explanations without the proper analysis. God our Father, in His wisdom, has given a small dose or portion of truth to all of his children, so that precisely through intercommunication, we can access a higher truth, though obviously always subject to the Marvelous Creator of the Universe. Extraordinary Mexican Investigator (1825-1894), born in Mexico City and considered by many as one of the best scholars of Mexican Colonial history. 1

Don Joaquin’s opinion was solicited by the Archbishop mentioned, expressed in 70 interesting points in 63 printed pages. October, 1883. Juan Diego and the Appearances of Tepeyac 2002, Editor: Publications For the Scientific Study of the Religions. 2

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ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATION The preparation of this text was realized with strict adherence to the established norms of the Christian Bible, both Old and New Testaments. In this English text we will be quoting the King James Version, which is widely accepted in both the Catholic and Protestant communities.3 Nevertheless, one or some of the themes dealt with here can have a distinct focus from what you have known or practiced during your life. I dare ask you that once you start reading, continue until the end. As you read through the whole book, you will find answers to the majority of your doubts. In parallel, if something exposed in the following pages is different from what you have always believed, I beg you not to feel personally offended. I was the first to be surprised when finding serious divergences from concepts found in the Bible in issues many churches practice today. The most important thing to be aware of is if we have thought in a certain way, and we later discover a series of disagreements, it does not mean that these distortions are our fault. The responsibility falls on those who felt they had the authority to dare making the erroneous modifications, going against what our Lord Jesus Christ established. I am convinced that an overwhelming majority of faithful Catholics are not guilty of the transgressions exposed 3

Note by translator.

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in this book. Many members of the high hierarchy were not in agreement when many of the doctrinal interpretations and alterations were made, even though they, out of obedience, held to them. It is not my purpose to create divisions among believers in Christ. To the contrary, my intention is to promote that all Christian groups have as our common denominator the true message that God himself wanted to give us.

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CHAPTER I PRIESTLY CELIBACY ORIGIN The word celibate comes from Latin4 and means “single”, but the fact that Catholic ministers remain in this state does not seem strange to the majority of people. We have all take for granted that they have to be celibates. From a historical perspective, very few times, if ever, we have questioned the foundation of this custom. Contrary to the common belief, Catholic celibacy has more roots in paganism5 than in Christianity. Many pagan priests held this norm in the ancient societies of Babylon, Lebanon, Phoenicia, Cyprus, Syria, Ephesus, Egypt and centuries later, the public servants of Constantinople.6 (Caelebs, caelibs) Joan Corominas, Spanish Etymological Dictionary, Editorial Gredos. 4

As was the case of the followers of the ancient God MITRA from Persia, a doctrine that later became one of the dominant religions in Rome in the 2nd Century AD. The followers of this cult worshipped the sun and practiced sexual self-restraint. “Book of Events” Isaac Asimov, Editorial Lasser Press. 5

http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2000/abr00/000423/mas-santa.html I should mention that in many of these cultures, they didn’t simply promise or vow to be chaste, as that did not guarantee they would hold to this norm. Such situation frequently caused important disorders in this aspect, which generated the opposite effect than the one originally desired. For this reason they were castrated physically: «Generally, the dynastic changes were prepared in the palace by the eunuchs. They were professional government officials, who, when castrated, were consecrated to serve the state. Many high category officials, over half of the Byzantine officials, had to be eunuchs by necessity.“ (SUMMA ARTIS, Historia general del Arte, Constantinopla, Vol. VII, Page 14, Jose Pijoan, Editorial Espasa Calpe, 1961) 6

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In the first 1,100 years of Christianity, this practice was not mandatory. During this period, 37 popes were married and had children.7 The origin of the mandatory celibacy in the Catholic ministry was established in the second and fourth councils of Letrán (In the years 1139 and 1215).8

BIBLICAL FOUNDATIONS It would be understandable to ask: What does the maximum book – the Bible- says to the Christian on this subject? Was it a recommendation expressed by Jesus Christ or any of the first Christians? Perhaps you will be surprised to know that it was not.9 If any of us carefully read all of the words of Jesus on this subject,10 we will see that in spite of his high regard http://www.lcc.uma.es/~ppgg/html/cgentes.html “Curiosities of Science and Life” Memorable People and Facts. 7

Councils called by Pope Innocence II and Innocence III respectively. www.churchforum.com/info/Historia/Concilios.htm It is thought that Roman Catholic Celibacy began gradually. In spite of being held in high esteem before the 10 century, marriage was never prohibited for Catholic ministers, before the said councils. In his book “No Te Dejes Engañar” (Don’t Let Yourself Be Fooled), Abimael Macias Cruz expressed similar conclusions. http:// prodigyweb.net.mx/abimaelmacias 8

The Lord Jesus Christ was born in the Jewish tradition, and was accustomed to seeing religious ministers – the rabbis – married, a custom that is still practiced today. It is safe to say that Jesus never mentioned any celibacy among them. Not only is marriage not considered an impediment to ministry in the Jewish faith, singleness is actually seen as a limitation to religious service. 9

Analyze the following example: In the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 19 Verse 12, it says: «For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s womb: and there are some 10

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for celibate, he never established it as some kind of ministerial requisite. When Jesus pointed out his own condition, he showed it as a product of a personal voluntary decision. At no time, neither He nor his Apostles set celibacy as a mandatory condition.11 Proof of this can be found later in time, in the Pastoral12 Letter of Saint Paul to Timothy (1 Timothy 3:1-4), where he refers to the requirements for minister. Paul wrote: “This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour… …given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;…”

eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.“ For the English version of this book, we are using the King James Version of the Bible, which is widely recognized as a reliable text by both Catholics and Protestants. We feel certain that in the verses here cited and throughout the book, that comparisons with other translations, both Protestant and Catholic, will express similar to exact meanings. (Note by Translator Ken Blose) Saint Paul, here addressing the entire Christian community in Corinth, expressed the concept of celibacy as voluntary in this advice given in 1 Corinthians 7:8-9: «I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.“ 11

This letter has been named by both Catholic and Protestant scholars as “Pastoral” as it is directed specifically to Christian ministers. 12

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It seems that reasons of a practical13 and material nature were what motivated the Catholic Hierarchy of the 12th and 13th centuries to realize this transformation of the civil state of their ministers. Nevertheless, when they made this change, they either did not know the entire contents of the Bible,14 or they minimized its importance, because, you will be surprised to discover, from the beginning of the Christian age, Saint Paul himself prevented in an incredibly strong way obligated celibacy, as we will see in the same pastoral letter mentioned (1 Timothy 4:1-3a): «Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry…” It is totally incomprehensible how they dared place themselves in this situation, after having received in a clear way – 12 centuries beforehand-this severe warning. What reasons motivated them? Why did they not take into account what was established in the Bible? Could a Apart from the supposed reasons related to the amount of time needed to practice a given profession, which is not a good argument, in that there are professions which involve a good deal of sacrifice in the area of time, such as a surgeon or mid wife (and many others) in which the interested person needs not be single, and would even find it a limitation to be so. Everything seems to indicate that among others, there were reasons based on the testimonies of the ministers, who expressed they would look to favor their families with their personal goods, before the congregation in their care. 13

Contrary to what many people think, the difference between Catholics and Protestants does not lie on “different translations of the Bible.” All of the Catholic and Protestant versions that I know of, say practically the same thing. The only difference between one and the other, is that the Protestant Bible has 66 Books, and the Catholic Bible has 9 additional books: “Tobit”, “Judith”, ”Esther”, 14

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practical or material reason be higher than a Biblical doctrine?

CONSEQUENCES Not only is obligated celibacy far from what Bible doctrine teaches, we can also say that this idea has generated a long chain of problems. Three of the most relevant are mentioned here: The first is the damage done to Catholic Ministers. Many of them have seen there potential diminished in their lives because of celibacy, as one brave priest expressed, as do many others, after 39 years in the priesthood.15 In this letter, the priest affirms: “I can find no word in the Holy Scriptures that justifies obligated celibacy and at the same time I find many reasons to justify marriage. The priests and bishops married during the first 1000 years of church life and then some pope invented this rule which I believe is unjust.” Further on in his letter, he adds: «I will continue to be a priest dedicated to his parish while God allows me to do this work. And I will try to continue to live this pseudo-celibacy.

“Macabbees” (2), “Ecclesiasticus”, “The Wisdom of Solomon”, “Baruch” and a small appendix to “Daniel”, which Protestant Scholars chose not to include, as the original texts were not in the traditional Hebrew-Aramaic language, but only in Greek. These books, whether they are included or not, do not alter the principles of Christian doctrine. I know some Protestants who use Catholic Bibles when quoting a verse. The basic difference between the two groups is the fact that the Protestants argue that the Catholics do no adhere to what has been established in the Bible. Anonymous letter sent to the pope by a priest about celibacy. A printed copy of the complete letter can be found in Appendix A of this book, and was taken from this web site: http://www.sjsocial.org/crt/celibe.htm/ 15

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But the truth is that I believe someone will have to answer to God16 for being the man responsible for this unnecessary torture many others and I have had to live with.“ The level of his frustration is especially expressed in this part: ”Before I die, I want to tell you (This is a letter written by this priest to the pope) of something that has bothered me for the 39 years of my priesthood. During this time I have been a presbyter in a parish, except for a few years in which I served as a chaplain in the Air Force. I like being the father of a parish, serving God and His people through my work. Nevertheless, I have become more and more angry over the rule of celibacy as the years have passed. I am now 64 year old, and before I die I want to tell you what I think. God said “It is not good for man to be alone”. I believe that the parish should permit priests to marry, if the priest has a desire for marriage. I am a good priest, but I would have been better if I had had a wife. As I grow older, I recognize my need for a companion. I would love her body too, because that is why God created men and women as they are. I do not feel that it was an error on God’s part, or that it degrades the spirit of the person.“ There are many cases just like this one, with the difference being that some dare to say what they think, while others, out of obedience, prefer to be quiet.17 16

Underlined by the author.

Additionally, a forced state of permanent sexual abstinence, - except in some special cases such as the voluntary way that Saint Paul chose – can be bad for ones health: “To have a healthy and normal sexual life is the best way to prevent many problems, including prostrate problems; as in many other areas, moderation is the healthiest alternative.” (The Prostrate Book, Dr. Lee Belshin, Editorial Grijalbo, 1997, Page 30) Obviously, we are referring to a sexuality subject to the superior values and principles of man that have been approved by God in His word. 17

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The second group of negative consequences is related to the fact that this forced celibacy has limited in an extraordinary way the number of ministers who can effectively follow this calling or profession. Many faithful Catholics have not had their spiritual needs met because of this lack of priests. Everyone knows that the number of Catholic priests in relation to the number of faithful Catholics that they must serve is reduced. It is practically impossible to evaluate the tremendous damage caused by this rule.18 The third group of consequences is the grave, irregular behavior that is derived for the most part from forced celibacy. There are numerous well-documented cases of huge scandals, perpetrated by Catholic clergy. One of the many cases involves the founder of the “Legionnaires of Christ”, Father Marcial Maciel.19 One of his victims described him this way: He disqualified the love of a woman, but carnal love against nature, with him, was holy.20 The list of similar cases would be endless, and would make it practically impossible to quantify the tremendous damage against the faithful, the ministers and CathoAccording to figures given by the Mexican Episcopacy Conference (CEM) in Mexico, each Catholic priest must serve 6,382 Catholics, which is obviously insufficient. This information was published in the newspaper Reforma on May 16, 2004. 18

Described in detail en the Book “THE LEGIONNAIRE” by Alejandro Espinosa, Editorial Grijalbo 2003. 19

Ibid Page 69

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lic Hierarchy that obligatory celibacy has caused in the last 8 centuries. These types of scandals not only have damaged the Catholic Church in general, but also many believers in particular. For example, in one part of the book quoted above21 the author mentions the deterioration of his religious faith that he suffered because he was a victim of abuse. Have the benefits of obligatory celibacy been worth the terrible consequences it has generated in the last 8 centuries? Are the advantages of this practical order enough to justify it? Or, perhaps, these benefits don’t even exist, and this rule was no more than a human and religious error? Fortunately, the mercy of God is permanently open and reachable to all human beings who desire it with sincerity. A rectification of this rule would be of great benefit for a huge sector of Christians, the Catholic community of the world.

Ibid Page 85 Throughout the book, the author expresses how the victims lost their religious faith. “(The name of one of the victims of Marcial Maciel), sick of the harem, hanged the beatings and religion on the same nail, finishing in a passionate atheism and confusion, which further led to binges of vodka, which finally ended in suicide in a Moscow hotel.” Also mentioned is the moral damage caused: The author of that book had to go through psychoanalysis because of the abuses he was submitted to. (Page 56) “Here I present the story that I lived, the painful abuse that I was a victim of in the most vulnerable age at the hands of a person whose front is a fraud. In this book is my entire life, all that I have accomplished with profound psychoanalysis that I have been obligated to put into practice to survive.” 21

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CHAPTER II CHRISTIAN PRAYER ORIGIN AND EXAMPLE I am thoroughly convinced that prayer is the way that God established for us to frankly and openly express our needs to Him. Only He knows what we need and how we can have that need met. To show us, he presented the maximum Christian example: Jesus Christ. His behavior thoroughly illustrates to us how Jesus dealt with this issue of prayer. There are great number of Biblical passages where we can see that He prayed and how He prayed, even though He was divine in nature. To quote just one instance: The prayer in the Garden of Gethsemani.22 Here He prayed out loud,23 therefore we can reflect…How did He pray? Did He recite from the Psalms? Did he read from the words of Moses, Abraham, Mary or one of the Angels? Did He repeat parts of the words of the prophets? Or, did he use His own words, in a frank and open way, to express His needs? Imagine that your child wants to communicate with you or wants to ask you for something. Instead of asking you

Saint Luke 22:41: «And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed.“ 22

We deduce that, in this occasion, the Lord prayed out loud, as the disciples heard clearly what He said, even though they were a “stone’s cast” away. 23

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in a clear and open way, he limits himself to making a long, repetitive dictation of quotes from some national hero or religious leader, words that were expressed in different circumstances from what your child is living at the moment. Would you rather let him express his desires in a simple form? Wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we be able to help him better if he talked to us in a natural and spontaneous way? These considerations will lead you to analyze for yourself one of the ways we should pray, suggested by the hierarchy of the Catholic Church.24

THE ROSARY Through a careful study of the Bible, I have found that there is not even a minimum mention, vestige or foundation for this Catholic tradition. Out of curiosity, I became interested in the true origin of this practice. While I was doing my study on this subject, I found myself in an Arab country, and to my great surprise, I noted that our Muslim guide had in his hand a beautiful chain of small jade gems. He passed over them one by one with his fingers, just as Catholics do with the rosary. I questioned him on the origin25 and purpose of this object that he held.

The practice of the Rosary, even though it has existed since the 12th century, was promoted strongly in the 16th century by Pope Pious V, who prescribed and recommended to all the world the use of the Rosary. It was promoted even more from 1878 to 1903 with Pope Leon XIII and then Pope Pious XI in 1937, and later by John Paul II since 1978. (Portal Catolico = www.encuentra.com) 24

In some countries it is known as a SIBAH, and in other regions such as Iran, Pakistan and others, it is known as TASBIH. 25

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The guide, in a kind way, let me know that when he passed his fingers over the gems, he would think about God.26 His answer only added to my doubts and curiosity. After a thorough study on this subject, I can tell you that everything seems to indicate that what we know as the Rosary27 is nothing more than a Catholic version of this Muslim practice,28 which was passed on to European Civilization after the inevitable reciprocal transfer of customs29 and traditions that took place immediately after the first crusade.30 We can see then that this practice appeared in our western civilization since the 12th century, though at its outset it had other names: Mary’s Psaltery, The Dominican

Allah in Arab

I invite you to analyze what the Muslim tradition says about this practice, in a conversation by Fatima, the daughter of Mohammed, where she mentions it by the name TASBIH. Appendix B 27

Though it is evident that the Muslims derived this practice from Buddhism (whose creator was Siddartha Gautama in India, around 5 centuries before Christ) Compton Encyclopedia 1997. The name Buddhists use for this “Chain of Gems” is “malla.” The malla is used more in the Tibetan tradition, and consists of 108 gems, and is a symbol of the cycle of samsara. The Tibetan recite a mantra for each gem they touch. 28

A curious footnote, another habit that was acquired during these years derives from the discovery (by the Europeans) of the process of taking the sweetness out of different fruits and plants and later refining it for human consumption (common sugar). This practice is common in all the world today, and cause of many health problems. This habit was passed on to the Europeans by the Arab culture, after the crusades. The Arabs received the custom from India, where the custom was practiced of extracting sweet juice, boiling it, crystallizing it and then eating it (5th Century B.C.). Compton’s Interactive Encyclopedia, 1994. 29

The first crusade, with the motto “This is the Desire of God” was promoted by Pope Urban II and took place from 1096 to 1099. The second crusade took place from 1147 to 1149. Compton’s Interactive Encyclopedia 1994, and “Man Searching for God” F.W. Franz (Grupo Editorial Ultramar, S.A. de C.V. 1990) 30

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or Marian Rosary, “Vita Christi” and others. 31 Saint Domingo de Guzman (1170-1221) was the instigator of this prayer, and also founded the order of the Preachers (The Dominicans).32

BIBLICAL FOUNDATION Putting aside the social anthropological aspects of the origin of this practice, we must now look a the most important element for the Christian – what has been established in the Bible. The Lord Jesus Christ gave the example of a perfect prayer, The Lord’s Prayer. Though it is apparently simple, the truth is, when we analyze the prayer carefully, we cannot find even the smallest error. This lack of errors is something that does not occur with man made creations, such as the “Hail Mary” which is the cornerstone of the Rosary. We will see these errors more clearly in the following pages. When the Lord Jesus spoke about prayer, 33 he said “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do:

History of the Rosary (www.ixeh.net/faith/Tesoro/Mayor or/history_so.htm)

It’s been tried, without success (“History of the Rosary” Encuentra.com “portal catolico”) to place the origin of the Rosary even earlier in history (650 AD), arguing that in the Roman Mass of these years they mentioned the words: “God Save You, Mary”, but it is important to mention that these words do not come from some Marian Rosary but are derived from the announcement of Gabriel to Mary, quoted in Luke 1:28. The Rosary as we know it today, is principally a series of repetitions and has no trustworthy historical mention before the 12th century. 32

Quoted from Saint Matthew 6:7, in which Jesus also gives us the ideal prayer, “The Lord’s Prayer” 33

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for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.”34 Jesus on many occasions put an emphasis on the need to pray to God.35 The biggest problem we find in what we know as the Rosary – apart from the fact that it is a series of repetitions that does not come from the heart of the believer- is that the focus of this practice is for the most part on Saint Mary. The Bible clearly states in numerous occasions that our prayers should be directed only to God, and there is not even a minimum suggestion that we should invoke any other being, as the Rosary does. For example, analyze the following verses (Acts 4:11-12) “This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.36 No matter how much you look – and I exhort you to do so – you will not find even the smallest mention in any part of the Bible that to come before God, we must use some type of intercessor, intermediary, or bridge. And not only this, we also see in all the verses that tell us how to reach God, the Bible clearly tells us that Christians only have one way – Jesus Christ.37

Falta texto

As when he expressed (Saint Luke 11:9): “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”. 35

Underlined by the author.

One of many is found in Saint John 14:6: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” 37

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Why, then, is there such a determination to place Mary in this position, making numerous petitions to her such as the rosary? Independent from a series of reflections I will share with you in the following chapters, I believe that the reason for this is a gradual separation throughout the centuries from what has been established in the Bible. Throughout the centuries, as we will analyze later, the Catholic hierarchy felt that they had in their hands the prerogative to go and alter a series of aspects of the Christian life, putting aside, inexplicably, what had been established by Christ. If we examine the prayer that is used most repeatedly in the Rosary – “The Hail Mary”- we will see that the first half is a composition of the greeting of the Archangel Gabriel which he made to Saint Mary in the moment of the Annunciation, and the welcome that her cousin Elizabeth expressed to her when she visited.38 In the second part, which was “prepared” by some Catholic author, it makes mention of Saint Mary as the “Mother of God”. Is this the truth? We must see how Mary saw herself when we consider our response. After hearing the good news from the Archangel Gabriel, she proclaimed herself “the Lord’s servant.” Later, when she visited Elizabeth, she expressed gratitude to Him

Saint Luke 1:30-42

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calling Him “her Lord” and “her Savior”,39 who has put His eyes on the “low estate of His handmaiden.”40 Moreover, how could Mary be in reality the Mother of God, if Jesus Christ existed before the world was created?41 Since when did Jesus exist? Judge for yourself and analyze the first chapter of the Gospel of Saint John, where in the first part it mentions: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” A little later in the same chapter, John continues “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world.”42 In other words, certainly the fact that He was made in to flesh like us was an extraordinary merit, the origin of which came exclusively from the expressed desire and power of Our Marvelous Father, making use of the means that He had created, as in this case, Saint Mary. It is common to analyze these types of things from a merely “human” context, imagining that in the future

Take note in the fact that she expressed with her own voice the two simple words “My Savior”, she is declaring her need to be saved herself, by the merciful action of God. 39

Saint Luke 1:46-48: «And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden.“ 40

Saint John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. Or in Saint John 8:57-58: Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. (Abraham lived around 1,850 years before the coming of Jesus Christ on the earth, which is four centuries before Moses.) 41

Underlined by the author.

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life these social and family relationships will continue, when really they were just a circumstantial procedure that God found worthy of using to complete His work. For example, in one occasion the Sadducees questioned Jesus about the civil state in the future life of a woman who had various husbands, and He answered them saying: ”Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.”43 Many often forget that the true origin of every human being on the planet is God and, of course, this includes Mary. Even so we judge with a limited and merely human vision. By doing so, in terms of relationship, the first “mother of all mothers”, would be Eve, and up till now it has not occurred to anyone to call her “the mother of God” because we all clearly know she was created by God. Imagine for a moment that we would start calling the earthly parents of Mary “the Grandparents of God”. I am sure that this term seems totally nonsensical. Am I right? We understand that people like Mary, Peter, Paul, you, I and everyone else were made by the incomparable power of the Lord of Heaven. Irrefutable proof of the true fatherhood of all humans is clearly stated in John 1:12: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood,

Saint Matthew 22:29-30

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nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”44 In another part, Jesus himself mentioned in his conversations that Mary was not to be in a place of preeminence.45 Not only does the Rosary focus on Saint Mary instead of God, but in the second part of the “Hail Mary”, she is given the role of intercessor, an idea with more human than divine inspiration: “Pray for us sinners.” The Bible expresses clearly that the desire of the Lord is that all would go directly to Him, without any intercessors, bridges or intermediaries.46 It is obvious that Mary was a holy woman and truly exceptional during her time on the earth, but her role as an intercessor or mediator was not granted to her by God, but rather by a group of people.

Underlined by the Author.

As in Matthew 12:47-50: “Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.” There have also been Catholic authors who assure that Jesus wanted Mary to be the mother of all believers based on the verse found in John 19:26-27: “When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother!” The truth is the Lord wanted this disciple (believed to be John) to take care of her, so she would not be abandoned, proof of which is found in the text immediately following what I quoted: “And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.” 45

As in 1 Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (Underlined by the Author) 46

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CONSEQUENCES Let us go beyond the doctrinal transgressions these types of prayer represent, which we have clearly seen go against the indications of our Lord Jesus Christ. The consequences of this form of behavior have affected many in a personal and collective way. From an individual standpoint, the damage done is immeasurable. The majority of those who use the rosary or other type of similar, repetitive prayers assume they have met their obligations to God in respect to prayer, when it is really not so. In practice, what they are doing is replacing a procedure established by God with a mere human invention, which they have not taken the time to analyze correctly. The damage caused to the believer is self-inflicted, as he deprives himself of this extraordinary medium of Biblical prayer that would help resolve a large quantity of needs we humans have. By avoiding the Biblical way of praying, which is with words that come from our heart and are directed to God, we absurdly limit the individual’s spiritual growth. In the social aspect of this argument, we must remember that the final results of any community on the planet are simply the sum of the behavior of all the men and women who make up that community. Believe me, what this world is missing is that true Christian who have to be the authentic “Salt of the Earth” by favorably influencing his or her environment. The prayers of such an individual would have had a crucial role, if they had not been stifled by this important doctrinal transgression. 26

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For this reason, and with all respect, I exhort the hierarchy of the Catholic Church to lead your faithful to pray as the Lord commanded and to go to God in the Name of Jesus, because that is the way He instituted. How can a man or woman make the love of God flourish in a world that is each day becoming more materialistic and conflictive? Would it be possible to truly bring Christian doctrine to our family, work and in all places we find ourselves without the power God gives us through prayer? Consider how disgracefully faithful Catholics have been deprived of this marvelous instrument, which the Lord gave into our hands. Believe me, the spiritual and social consequences of this transgression are immeasurable in every sense.

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CHAPTER 3 PAPAL AUTHORITY For many, the mere thought of questioning the authority of the pope gives them chills. If you have a preconceived idea of this issue, I beg of you that for at least a moment, you would put that idea to one side. I invite you to objectively analyze this subject. In this chapter you will find a different focus, which I assure you, is worthy of seeing in a profound way. If I am wrong in one or various points of view, I beg of you take note of these errors, and I am more than willing to listen attentively to your reasons.47 But believe me that this, and other aspects of our lives, should be analyzed with out prejudices in an impartial and objective way. We all know that any community needs a certain social structure based on the equality of men to function properly. Nevertheless, is there a social foundation that justifies not only the existence of a certain hierarchy, but also the preeminence or superiority of one person over all the rest? From a purely social perspective, for the proper functioning and development of a community, we have proven

You can send your opinions to giovannitorricelli@hotmail.com or www.thgekidnappedreligion.com 47

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throughout the centuries that the interaction of all in the community is more desirable than the elevation or preeminence of one person. For example, we can see similarities between social interaction in a community with the interaction of neurons in the human brain. In this marvelous organ, we can see that each individual neuron does not amount to much, but when they interrelate through nervous branches they acquire together their true dimension, and in this way become the most advanced organism known. Anyone would agree that it would be absurd to think that one neuron by itself could do anything, even survive. It is only through the interrelation and integration that these neurons can reach superior functions that each person enjoys, such as speech, thought and the use of reason or intelligence. From a purely sociological focus, we can see that in any human community the same occurs. Advancement and development is only possible through the joining of a multitude of thoughts. Surely this is due to the fact that in every community, each man and woman that makes up that community has a small “dose” or “portion” of the truth. It is only through communication that we can arrive at more fundamental truths. Perhaps our creator established it that way with an “integrating” purpose. It seems that each one of us is a tiny piece of a giant puzzle, where only through integration can we have true advancement and development. 30

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To prove this curious and invisible need for cooperation, you and I will note that there are people who are brilliant in some aspect of life, but awkward in other aspects. I would like to cite as examples extremely privileged minds like Einstein, Newton, Beethoven and others, who possessed surprising brilliance for various aspects of their environment, but were incredibly limited in other areas. The most insightful and observant people have appreciated this interesting social phenomena. For example, let us look at what the Ex-President of Mexico Don Adolfo Ruiz Cortines had to say when they told him he was going to meet a supposedly “intelligent” person. In a very illustrative way, Don Adolfo answered: “Intelligent? Intelligent in what?”48 With these simple words he showed that he had noticed this human condition: We can all have ability in some things, but we are also surprisingly awkward in others. I want to repeat myself by saying: this particularity of human beings constitutes a powerful factor for cohesion. It obligates us to work in union. Only through this union and cooperation will we obtain authentic human and social economic development worldwide. It is for this reason that when I think of this human condition, I inevitably think of the example of the human brain that I mentioned earlier. A newborn child has the most neurons at birth, but he will not reach his potential This anecdote was quoted in the book by Don Miguel Aleman Velasco “I Do Not Plant for Me” from Editorial Diana. This book has a biography of Don Adolfo Ruiz Cortines, President of Mexico from 1952 to 1958. 48

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until those neurons are capable of interconnecting, a process which normally happens throughout the growth of the child. This human limitation, our limited and partial vision, has been a reason for committing one of our greatest errors. We each feel we possess some great and marvelous truth. Proof of this is when we dialogue, except in some honorable exceptions, it is common to think that we are right and everyone else should adjust to our way of thinking. Any person who deeply analyzes this social process will come to the conclusion that the capacity of judgment of one person, no matter how brilliant they may be, would be incomparably inferior to the consensual thinking of all in a group. This interesting process, which practically forces us to interact socially, is seen in all aspects of human life: It can be seen in politics, economics, religion, science, arts and culture, and even in the detail of each person’s “specialty”.49

PAPAL INFALLIBILITY What was the origin of this idea of papal infallibility? Did Jesus mention it? Or was it merely a human invention contrary to what has been established in the Bible?

As was the case of Thomas Edison, who even though he was a great scientist in his time, had to modify his vision of the domestic application of electricity, in terms of the us of “Alternate Current” and “Direct Current”. (Encyclopedia Encarta 1997). 49

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Has this particular idea existed throughout Christian or Catholic history? This enviable attribute has only been around for a century and a half, and came about in a singular way, with Pope Pius IX,50 its principle defender. This prelate was clear throughout his life that he did not appreciate democratic governments, and he leaned toward absolute monarchs. He made open pronouncements against the “defenders of liberty of conscience and religion” and those “who affirmed that the church should not resort to force.”51 As a consequence of his particular way of thinking, he convened the “Vatican Council I” in 1869. Before the assembly of Bishops, he announced that the principle theme of the meeting was to be the infallibility of the pope. In other words, his purpose was to declare himself infallible. Despite the fact he put a lot of pressure on the participants, he suffered a moral defeat. Of the over 1000 bishops present, only 451 voted for this ostentation. But he was not going to yield in his purpose. Through calculated maneuvers more suited to a veteran political strategist than to a religious leader, the vote was held again, but at a time when only 2 of the opposing bishops found themselves in Rome.52

Pope from the years 1846-1878

Book “In God’s Name” by David Yallop, Editorial Jonathan Cape, LTD, London, England. 51

Ibid.

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On July 18, 1870, it was decided by 535 votes versus 2 that the opinions of the pope acquired the singular quality of being infallible.53 What does the Bible have to say about this? The doctrine that the earth is not the center of the universe nor is it stationary, but that it moves, including a daily rotation, is philosophically and theologically absurd and false. Statement about Galileo54

BIBLICAL FOUNDATIONS Throughout Christian history, the defenders of the supreme authority of the pope have backed themselves up with one segment of the Bible that says:55 “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” At first glance, this portion of the New Testament seems to give an absolute and indisputable authority to Saint Peter.

Though it was accepted that it only applies when he spoke “Ex Catedra”, meaning when he spoke as “pastor and teacher and made use of his supreme authority”. (www.churchforum.com/info/Historia/concilios.htm) 53

Decree made June 12, 1633 by the Congregation of the Holy Office against Galileo, quoted from the book “The Book of Events” by Isaac Asimov, Lasser Press. 54

Matthew 16:18

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It would be completely understandable if at your first analysis you thought the verse of the Bible gives unobjectionable authority to the Pope. It is not surprising, because most people who see this verse isolated and in a superficial way come to the same conclusion. It is also not strange that throughout history, many scientists, investigators and even high member of the same Catholic hierarchy, when they realized the popes were committing grave errors, kept a prudent silence because of their superficial understanding and belief of this supposed undeniable authority given by Jesus himself. Nevertheless, this is such an important subject that has had such an effect, that it requires a much deeper analysis, which I invite you to make in the paragraphs to come. The first thing we appreciate is that this distinction was given specifically to Saint Peter, and in no other part of the Holy Scriptures, neither Jesus nor Saint Peter mention, or even hint at, even the smallest possibility that some type of “successors”, “heirs”, or “representative” would have this same prerogative. We should also mention that the leaders of all other Christian groups, the majority of which have never dared think of this possibility, could also self- proclaim themselves successors of Saint Peter. This makes us reflect that, if Peter had successors, which is not the case, they would have to be, without a doubt, those who acted precisely as Peter, don’t you believe? To begin with, Saint Peter was opposed to any form of homage or submission given to him by the rest of the faithful to his person. We can see an example of this in 35

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Acts 10:26, when Cornelius wanted to bow down to him, which was impeded by Peter himself, with these words: “But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man”. Believe me, deducing from his way of acting here, described in this and other parts of the Bible, if he were with us now, he would not only oppose this self given infallibility, but also titles like “Your Holiness” or “Holy Father,” and many other things that we will see now. As far as his use of the “keys to the Kingdom of Heaven”, we can see it perfectly applied by Saint Peter, when, in the confusion56 of the day of Pentecost and filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, he declared the way of the Christian was in the Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ.57 We continue seeing this key used throughout his subsequent teachings. The key for mankind to the Kingdom of Heaven is belief in Jesus and following His commandments, a prevailing and transparent fact that Peter expressed repeatedly before all, which was a perfect use of this prerogative or key that was given to him. As you can see for yourself, when you read the Bible, Peter never pretended or insinuated that he was an arbitrator, guide or judge to those first Christians, and also it is not written nor can it be deduced that he named some type of successor for that prerogative.

Acts 2:37: Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 56

Seen in Acts 2:38 and many other parts of the New Testament.

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After the verse used so often by defenders of the supreme authority of the pope, it is quoted: “whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.” This has unfortunately been one of the most misinterpreted portions of the Bible by Catholic groups. They have erroneously taken it as a letter of free action or full liberty of judgment over the conscience of other believers, but with all due respect, I ask you to analyze this from a different perspective. From my point of view, this phrase is not even remotely a prerogative of free action, rather a serious warning about the great repercussions of human behavior in this present life and the one to come. Jesus is telling Peter that each thing we do will have repercussions first of an extraordinary transcendence in the plan of God on the earth and later in the life to come. Proof of this thought can be seen later on in Matthew 18:18, where Jesus says the exact same thing, but not only to Peter but to all his followers at that moment: “Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” The truth is that every human act, even if it seems simple or insignificant, can derive unimaginable consequences. It is exactly this fact that Jesus is referring to, when he makes this warning to Peter, then to his followers. Judge for yourself. When in the example of Adam and Eve, their disobedience is mentioned, we can easily deduce that they did not for one minute imagine the immeasurable chain of negative consequences their transgression caused. 37

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That would be a form of “binding” something, with all it secondary effects in the present and future. When the disturbed leader Adolph Hitler generated millions of deaths, he probably did not imagine that those lives he cut off would alter forever the lives of all who live on the earth. His pretentious idea of a “Superior Race” kept him58 from knowing the blessings these shortened lives of so many people would have generated, both in themselves and there descendents. Surely there were musicians, architects, scientists, doctors, physicists, and an infinite amount of people that God wanted to be born, but who never were. In other words, the descendents of these lives stupidly shortened in a few years, would have generated an unimaginable quantity of human beings over the passing of the centuries, which in some form altered the plan of God59 and became to mankind an incredibly negative hindrance. On the other hand, if a human being teaches some the way of the love of God,60 in a way they are completing Aside from the fact that Hitler was mentally affected, he was undoubtedly clumsy in his capacity of judgement. Though, at the time, there were no studies that proved that all human beings come from the same origin, the simple common sense had taught this truth to other persons centuries earlier, such as Aristotle, Hernando de Soto and many others. They, who acknowledged similarities among different human groups from similar latitudes, could conclude by mere observation that human physical characteristics are a consequence of climate, feeding habits and other external factors. 58

That does not mean that God in His infinite wisdom cannot accommodate things again in agreement with His plans, but without a doubt human behavior in some way has repercussions on the present and future world. 59

Just as Peter did when he completed his charge, “bound” and “loosed” not only the lives of many people, but also there descendants, which completed what Jesus established en the paragraph quoted before, of “binding” and “loosing” things on the earth, that would have consequence in the future. 60

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the process of “loosing”, a simple act that also has many consequences, in this case positive. I could continue presenting examples of how human acts generate incredible effects, which most men and women do not correctly understand. This is “Binding” and “Loosing”, which depends on what action we commit, don’t you agree? If there is any doubt about the expressed will of God in relation to papal authority, I would like to remind you of the words of Jesus Christ in Mathew 23:9: “And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.” For this reason I am convinced that to consider another of our brothers in this world as superior to the rest, or worse yet, call him “Holy Father”,61 “Representative of God on Earth” or “Pontiff,” is openly opposed to what Jesus Christ established.

Besides, that we can see clearly that the Bible prohibits calling another human being“father”, (Mathew 23:9), from a mere human context, a person who is truly spiritual, is the most conscious of there equality with his brothers and sisters of the human race. See how Augustus Caesar acted about it: «He was always horrified by the title Dominus (Lord) as if it were shameful or insulting. He was in the theater one day, and an actor said ‘Oh good and fair Lord!’ All of the spectators, using the same words, applauded enthusiastically, He raised his hand to stop these unseemly adulations, and the following day he censured them in a severe edict. He also prohibited that his sons and grandsons would be given this name, seriously or as a joke, and he also prohibited that among themselves that they would generate a flattering remark. He always entered in Rome or any other city in the afternoon or night, so no one would be bothered by vain ceremonies.“ Unfortunately, this example was not followed by the Caesars who antedated him. They, due to their lower spiritual height, accepted all kinds of adulation and pompous titles. (Lives of the 12 Cesars Section Augustus, LIII, Suetonio, Ed. Grolier Jackson.) 61

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It is true, as I said, that all institutions and organisms need some sort of authority, but always on the basis of equality amongst its members, never establishing a situation of preeminence or superiority of some over others. Looking back at history, we can analyze in a contemplative way the true origin of the doctrinal divergences among the different Christian groups, principally those of the 15th and 16th centuries, which were derived from the Reformation movement. The true problem between the Catholics and Protestants in the middle ages cannot be blamed, as it often is, on different translations of the Bible, as both the Catholic and Protestant Bibles are almost the same in issues of doctrine. Neither can we blame those considered heretics such as Huss, Luther, Calvin and others.62 The divergences occurred as more and more members of the Catholic hierarchy, believing in the superficial interpretation of the above quoted scriptures, separated their ideas and teachings from those established in the Bible. The reformers simply discovered those divergences and exposed them to all.

An overwhelming majority of the critics of Catholic teachings came from inside the Catholic Church and were highly knowledgeable in theology and the Bible. As was the case of John Huss (1371-1415), Martin Luther (14831546), John Calvin (1509-1564)(Encyclopedia ENCARTA). For example, Calvin, from France, is considered by Bible experts as one of the great Christian theologians of all times, with perhaps Saint Agustin being the only more distinguished. In case you wonder why didn’t Saint Agustín object such doctrinal deviations, the answer is simple: he had passed away (354-430) when most of them were carried out. Otherwise, he’d probably opposed to them and would have been part of the heretic list. 62

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Another singular event that helped during these times was the invention of the printing press, in the 15th century. Once the Bible could be read and analyzed by more people, the “risk” of exposure of all the divergences increased incredibly. We must remember that before the appearance of the printing press,63 the Bible was transcribed by hand by “scribes”, which made it very expensive and rare, and if that wasn’t enough, it was written in Greek, Hebrew and other languages. This, together with the fact that most people could not read even their own language, made the Bible very inaccessible. When the extraordinary Bible scholar Casiodoro de Reyna64 dared to translate the Bible texts into Spanish, so that all Christians of that tongue could understand it, he was persecuted all over Europe and condemned to die burned alive at the stake. You may well ask, what crime did he commit to deserve such a punishment? To make the Word of God accessible to all who spoke Spanish was not a sufficient reason for such a persecution, unless – in a arbitrary, awkward and unjust way – they thought those teachings should not end up in hands of the people.

We are referring to the invention of the press by Europeans, with metallic printing tools. The Chinese invented another type of press centuries before, with wooden printing tools. (Encyclopedia Compton 1997). The first book printed by Gutenberg was the Bible. 63

One of the greatest Bible scholars of all times. He was born in Montemolin around 1520, and died in Frankfurt March 15, 1594. Historian Carlos Gilly. 64

GIOVANNI TORRICELLI There is a Spanish version (referring to the translation of Casiodoro de Reyna) of the whole Bible, that for a cursed thing is needed Friar Martin Sarmiento65

CONSEQUENCES This book would not be adequate to number the long chain of negative consequences that this doctrinal transgression has generated throughout history. For that reason, I want to limit myself to only one of the errors of the high Catholic hierarchy in the 20th century: their particular demographic vision, and the consequences it has caused. The Catholic Church has said many times that their position on world population problems derives from an interest in favor of life. Of course, all the inhabitants of this planet with use of our mental faculties would agree that human beings have the greatest value on earth and we will always defend human life. Nevertheless, if a religious institution does not authorize the use of family planning methods, methods that help families grow according to their particular possibilities, it does not matter what they say, in practice they are acting against the values they claim to defend. You may well ask, why is this situation being presented, if human beings are the most valuable element in nature? If there are more people in the world, wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the capacity to work and produce increase as well? The words of this Friar, quoted by the historian Carlos Gilly (Basilea Suiza 1998 http//www.amen.net/lb/articulos/defesareina.htm) illustrate the attitude of the Catholic hierarchy of this time. 65

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In all of the cases you and I can imagine, if there is some type of rapid acceleration in the factors involved in any process, we will have grave problems. Is this acceleration that important? Why is it different to have a country duplicate its population in 80 years rather than in 25? I was once with an engineer in the fourth floor of a construction work. We returned to the ground floor by using an improvised elevator that, we later learned, was about to break down. What made us arrive to the ground floor safe and sound? The acceleration with which we arrived to the ground floor. Arriving to it in 12 seconds was different from arriving at only 1.6 seconds. Here is another example. It is obvious that you and I need food to survive. But, if we eat day after day more food than we are able to digest and assimilate, I assure you that in a few days we will have serious problems, despite the fact that what we are eating is good and healthy for us, if eaten correctly. Similar problems occur in any process when the velocity increases rapidly between two factors, though it may seem inoffensive at first. Problems will happen, and the gravity of those problems will depend on the amount of adjustment made. Let us analyze another example. When a space ship returns to earth, all the experts know that it must enter at a determined speed and angle, if not, the results are catastrophic. I am forever surprised that many socioeconomic experts have not assigned importance to the rapid demographic 43

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growth this world is facing. They have not realized that if a nation doubles in population too quickly, without a doubt there will be grave social and human repercussions, and they usually attribute problems caused by such growth to other factors. Believe me, it is not enough to ponder the extraordinary value that every human life has, it is essential, if we truly want to benefit human life, to support balanced development in all matters. For this reason it is paradoxical to adopt a noble and humanistic attitude, without correctly evaluating the elements that intervene in the issue. They are acting against the principles they say they defend. I do not want to fall into what I am criticizing, - to try to impose a particular vision in an unilateral way â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I invite you to judge for yourself this important issue. Remember, the way to reach a solid truth is only through the participation of all. If any nation on the globe doubles in population in only 28 years,66 as has happened in the majority of the countries in an important amount of the world in the 20th century, its resources needed to give a dignified life should also double in the same time period. Things such as housing, drinking water, drainage, employment, education, forest reserves, energy and anything else needed to satisfy the needs of the people must increase at the same rate as the population.

From the Annuals of the United Nations, published at the end of each decade. 66

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No country on the planet67 has been able to do in 28 years the equivalent of what they have accomplished in all of their history. For that reason, countless socioeconomic problems and social injustices have occurred, which are usually blamed on other causes. For example, we can see the problems caused by the fact that housing has not duplicated with the population. Growing slums, cardboard houses built in high risk areas, families without homes, dirt floor shacks without utilities and other deficiencies are evident in our cities. As it is impossible to educate this new population segment at the speed required, we also see grave deficiencies in the formation and transmission of a wide range of moral and human values that are so important to any community. It is also impossible to generate employment at the rate needed, which when combined with other factors, generate unemployment, migration, growth of an informal economy, insecurity and many other grave problems. From a ecological viewpoint, not only are we not developing and improving our forests, we are destroying them at such an accelerated rate that it is generating the extinction of many animal species and producing climatic changes with unpredictable consequences. In every country with a high rate of population growth, we can see high levels of crime throughout society. ForAccording to the statistics of the UN on human development, associated with the rate of population growth (from the Population Reference Bureau) where on making an individualized analysis by country, it appears that the human and socioeconomic development is incompatible with the high rate of population growth. 67

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give me for saying it again, but in all of these countries, we often hear that it is the governmentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; fault, or that of immigrants, or the economic system, or a whole gamut of other guilty parties. I must mention also that I am not saying that only with a balanced population growth our problems will be solved. We must also attend to political, economic and educational elements. But without balanced population growth, it will be impossible to resolve delays in social development. It is also not desirable to arrive at the other extreme, with growth rates being low or negative, as is found amongst 20% of the world population. The most prudent idea is to have balanced growth that permits the doubling of a population in lapses of time greater than 40 or 50 years,68 sufficient time to create the resources needed and then support the development of a just and humane society. The important thing to remember in all of this is how an attitude as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;defender of lifeâ&#x20AC;?, if it is not founded correctly, acts in contrary to the values that it wants to defend. I want to present some points as examples of my point of view, asking you to correct any errors you may find in my arguments.

ABORTION The Catholic Church has made important pronouncements in favor of life and against abortion. The truth is, To arrive at a growth rate of this nature, the woman of a country must have an average of 2.2 children, which is possible if the majority of couples have 2 or 3 children, with which this goal comes automatically, considering that some do not marry and other cannot have children. 68

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this artificial interruption of pregnancy is a criminal act that the majority is obviously against. Nevertheless, when we attend to the basic causes more than the sad consequences, we will see that when a mother faces the possibility of a undesired child, and erroneously resorts to the false door of abortion, would it not have been better, in the majority of cases, that she would be informed beforehand of the viable forms of family planning?69 If a person or institution prohibits in some way the use of these methods, do they not become, without wanting to, partially responsible for these types of actions?

INFANT MORTALITY In undeveloped nations with high population growth, we of the global community see a terrifying problem. Around 8 million children die a year70 in countries that suffer a lack of proper sanitary conditions and appropriate food. To talk about the importance human life is highly gratifying and has social impact, but would it not be better to form the foundations for a more just society, that would have more opportunities for all?

In the cases of illicit relationships. Of course the practice of a true Christian life would be the best way to avoid these types of situations. If a couple decides to ignore these principles, it is better to use family planning than face an unwanted pregnancy or a sexually transmitted disease. 69

UN estimates for the year 2000. A cold statistic that does not tell us much, nevertheless, it shows us that every 6 or 7 years more children die in the world than there were victims who died in the worst of wars, World War II. 70

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One of the most important elements for these foundations is without a doubt balanced population growth. This is what Albino Luciani, The Smiling Pope, John Paul I, wanted. He expressed these principles during his short time as Pope: promotion of family planning to support the authentic social and human development, as well as the releasing of the monetary goods of the Vatican. Sadly this pope only lasted 33 days as pontiff, and he died under controversial circumstances.71

SOCIAL POLITICAL CONFLICTS To express to the media a deep burden for the great amount of social needs that are not being met, and at the same time exhorting world governments to do something about the problems raises much interest in the political arena. There is no doubt that he who expresses this would have the image of a person profoundly worried for grave world problems. Nevertheless, it is completely different from actually doing something concrete to be a part of the solution. One of the best ways to be a part of the solution, for the reasons we have seen in the above paragraphs, is by supporting a balanced development. In many countries the needs have grown faster than the capacity to meet them. This seems to be inoffensive, but for this reason there are innumerable political conflicts all over the globe. One of many cases I want to give as an example here is Cuba, in the year 1959. At this time the population had There are a number of investigative books who claim that Pope John Paul I was assassinated, among them In Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Name by David Yallop (Editorial Jonathan Cape Ltd. of London, England.) 71

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doubled72 in a period much shorter than needed for the new population segment. This together with serious political irregularities on the island led to great discontent among the people. During this time, a bearded man realized an incorrect diagnosis of the problem, and committed acts that made this situation even more pathetic. He proclaimed the capitalist system as the guilty party, and after numerous deaths during a bloody revolution, instated an absurd economic system which today requires an astronomic number of abortions73 to feed and advance Cubaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s populace.74 A similar panorama is being repeated more or less in the same way in the majority of Latin American countries, Africa, and the Middle East. In many of these countries, animosity has grown in those who have been left behind socially and economically toward those in more advanced regions. They have grown to believe that they are behind because of the supposed advantages the others have. It seems that where there is accelerated population growth, it is followed by a pathetic social situation, which is often taken advantage of by unscrupulous leaders. In the majority of cases, these leaders propose and imple-

See the Annual UN report for the years 1950 and 1960.

The number of abortion in Cuba is known to be immense, even though the exact amounts are not known in the free world, and are probably not known by even the Cuban government. 73

We cannot forget the positive elements, such as an increase of educational levels and a reduction of infant mortality; nevertheless, this would not have been possible if the population growth had not been reduced. It is sad that this reduction is being brought about with inappropriate methods such as abortion. Actually, Cuba has the lowest population growth rate in Latin America, by a wide margin. (Population Reference Bureau, 2000) 74

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ment violence as a solution, which inevitably makes the situation worse.75 If a grave situation of social exclusion as mentioned above cannot be resolved by any nation on the globe in an environment of peace, much less will it be solved with violence, which is often the solution proposed by leaders who have lost all sense of reality. And it is when any nation faces this gamut of social needs that are not being met that the road to violence is taken with all of its consequences. The number of innocent victims in the world derived from this situation reaches truly monstrous proportions. What gets my attention is how, to the media, the Catholic hierarchy acts against harmonious growth while at the same time proclaims the need to live in a world free of social deficiencies.

ECOLOGY Never in history has the man-caused deterioration of the environment been at such a magnitude as it is today. Why is this happening? Arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we each day more advanced in all areas of life? This environmental deterioration has gone hand in hand with population growth, which has surprised the world. Look at the statistics. It took man practically our entire history to reach the first billion, which occurred in 1812. This is what happened in the Mexican state of Chiapas, whose population almost tripled in the short time of 30 years. This generated a situation of social exclusion, a fact rapidly taken advantage of by some. 75

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Later, in only 123 years, in 1935, we reached the amount of 2 billion. 21 years after that, in 1956, we reach 3 billion. It has only taken 18 years more to reach 4 billion, which occurred in 1974. 13 years after that, in 1987, we reached 5 billion, and 12 years later, October 12, 1999, the amount was 6 billion.76 Paradoxically, I am sure you have heard at some time that the rate of population growth has gone down, but let me explain this drop. In agreement with the methods of the demographics, the rate quoted is calculated on a base that is larger each time, which produces the percentage effect of lowering. Look at this example: In 1956, the population growth of the planet, considering the births and deaths, was around 52 million a year. And for the year 2000, the global population growth was around 89 million a year, but, if we talk in terms of percentage, and the method used, we will see that the rate for the year 2000 will be inferior to that of 1956, even though the real amount of population growth in the year 2000 was almost doubled. Why? The calculation of 1956 was realized on a world population of 3 billion, and for the year 2000 on a population for 6 billion 60 million. A lowering of the real amount in annual growth77 will not begin until some time before the year 2010. 76

Annual Statistics of the UN.

This does not mean that the population will go lower, only that the annual increase will be noticeably lower, as the global population will continue to grow until it reaches 11 Billion around the year 2150 (An medium Estimate made by the UN.) 77

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If, to all of this, we add the consumption of energy per inhabitant, which has also grown to alarming amounts, we can understand why the environmental deterioration has grown in an exponential way. One of the biggest worries among many is that the high consumption of energy per inhabitant in the most advanced countries, with the subsequent pollution, threatens to extend itself to all countries in development, which are in the majority. This happens for the following reason. As countries in development have more and more economic influx, they will begin to own articles of the modern life, like microwave ovens, cars, busses, planes, heaters, washers, irons, etc, with the above mentioned effects. Sadly the ecological damage envelopes practically everything around us. When we analyze just one of the aspects, the deterioration of our forest, the common argument is to look at the problem superficially and blame this criminal destruction on illegal lumbering. We canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help but think illegal lumbering is only the last link in a harmful chain, and on the other end of the chain are all the members of the global community, who each day demand more articles made from wood. One other consequence of the modification of the climate that deforestation causes, along with the misuse of chemical products, is the thinning of the ozone layer, which will cause unpredictable consequences. Mankind has not correctly evaluated other consequences that deforestation causes, such as the extinction of animal species, erosion of usable top soil, modification of the climate, and damage of the underground water supply. 52

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All of this is literally attacking the planet, and as the climatic balance is much more delicate than we once thought, we are seeing grave consequences. It has been discovered, for example, that climatic changes are responsible for 150,000 deaths annually. These modifications in the environment â&#x20AC;&#x153;are now a reality, which will provoke every day more and more suffering and economic losses for humanity.â&#x20AC;?78 Despite the overwhelming data from many diverse sources, those who oppose a balanced population growth insist they are defenders of life with out analyzing what is really threatening life. If the population continues to grow, at an inconvenient rate, it will continue to attack the fragile ecological balance of the planet, and will reduce the probabilities of future generations, which goes against life and the human race. In their persistence they assure us they do not want to reach the extremes of some countries with slow or no growth, and I am sure this desire is shared by all. But what is desirable is the maintenance of a harmonic growth that permits an economic, educational and ecological balance, which is possible, if together with other measures, we stabilize the population.

COUNTRIES WITH LOW DEMOGRAPHIC GROWTH Less than 20% of the inhabitants on earth have no growth or a very low population growth, a fact that is rapidly compensated through migration from all over the world Report on the negative effects of global warming presented to the World Health Organization. The negative effects continue to grow. Quoted in the newspaper REFORMA, article 358028. 78

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where there is a high growth rate, and for that reason they are deficient in social needs. It is curious that that this phenomenon, which is present in a small minority of the world, is used as an example by those opposed to demographic planning to argue why we should not limit population growth. We cannot forget that the majority of those who have been Pope have come from these regions of low population growth, a truth that surely influenced the fact they have not seen first hand the great chain of social deficiencies that rapid growth causes.

FFAMILY PLANNING: IS IT ANTI-NATURAL? One of the favorite arguments of those who oppose family planning is that artificial methods go against nature. The truth is if we really want to live in a natural way, we should return to living in trees and caves. But if we had proceeded in that direction, the total amount of inhabitants in the world would not exceed 1 or 2 percent of the actual amount, and human development would be extremely low. The clothes we use are anti-natural, the same can be said of our shoes, houses, hats, glasses, electric light, refrigerators, telephones, cars, tractors, fertilizers, insecticides, planes, computers, compasses, artificial satellites, televisions, books and practically everything else that is around us. Even the use of medicine is anti-natural, nevertheless and paradoxically, without medicine the demographic explosion of the 20th century would have never happened. 54

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If we had done without this intervention anti-natural which is medicine, the number of inhabitants in the world would only be a fraction of what it is now. Is that natural? Would that have been desirable in light of what we are focusing on? Because of the still limited advances in medicine in the last 2 or 3 centuries, the number of births for each woman in North America was 13, with only 3 surviving,79 while the rest passed away almost at birth. Would that be a more natural situation? Another example is the invention of the lightning rod by Benjamin Franklin. At the same time a major flood hit Lisbon, Portugal in the 18th century. Many Catholic clergymen proclaimed that this artificial human intervention was the cause of this horrible event.80 They argued that lightning should fall where God wants it to, and this new invention was impeding God’s desire, which in turn unleashed the above mentioned flood. If your son or daughter were about to die, and an antibiotic could prevent his or her death, would you deny that medicine to your child so as not to transgress what is strictly natural? Would it not be even more anti-natural to not use the marvelous reason God has intentionally given to us? I am convinced that the truly anti-natural is: to not preserve the health of our families, to not do what we can “Book of Events, Facts and Things” Isaac Asimov (Lasser Press) Further back in history the situation was even worse, with life expectancy thousands of years ago being around 16, and the infant mortality rate was much higher. (Studies of Physical Anthropology, Encyclopedia Encarta) 79

Event recorded in the Book “History of the 500 Immortal Phrases” by Luis Angel Rodriguez. Editorial Hispano Mexicana 1944. 80

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do to take care of our planet, so that more generations can have an opportunity for life, and also, to not take the necessary steps toward a true cultural, social, economic and ecological development. For the Catholic Church to continue with this thought that family planning is unnatural is not only damaging, but also contrary to the life they assure us they are defending. For all of this, and many other reasons that will not fit in this book, I am convinced that from a human perspective, in order to reach a superior truth, it requires the participation of the entire world community, and not in any way by one person, whoever that might be.81 No human being who lives on this earth deserves to be followed completely. All the reasons that you hear, including what you have read in this book, are no more than different perspectives that contribute to a greater social and collective conscience. Analyzing from a Biblical point of view, the situation is even worse. The prohibition to elect only one person as judge, supreme arbitrator or representative of God on the earth, as we have quoted, is even clearer and more explicit.82 If you allow me, I want to ask you a favor: ignore my point of view on this issue. Open the Bible yourself, and begin to read it. Not just isolated verses and paragraphs, principally the New Testament, and know, first hand, Jesus and the Apostleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s way of thinking about papal authority, and perhaps you will be surprised. The doubt does not lie on if the Catholic Church will allow or not the ÂŤartificialâ&#x20AC;&#x153; methods -it will happen; our planet would not resist otherwise-, but on when such rectification will take place before more human, social, and ecological harm continues. 81

Matthew 23:9

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CHAPTER IV IMAGES I was touring downtown Mexico City with a historian friend of mine. We entered into a Catholic church, and my friend made the following comment: “Do you see the face of the Virgin that is above the altar? The artist was inspired by the face of a well known Mexican actress83 from the 19th century.” As I thought about his comment the next few days, I began to reflect on the worship given to such a huge variety of images. The true of appearance of Jesus while he was on this earth is unknown. We cannot even guess what he might have looked like.84 How can we dare to represent Him and render homage to a human creation? In all likelihood the image we think is God is the face of some family member or friend of the artist, it is not the face of God. Aren’t we committing a grave error with this? Let me share an analogy: Imagine that I have a photo of a known movie actor in my wallet, and when I take it out someone asks me: “Who is that a picture of?”

He also added “All those devoted people have no idea who they are bowing down to.” 83

We can come to the conclusion that perhaps no one has even an approximate description of His face, height, complexion, etc. for a definite and divine purpose, so that we will avoid pointless comparisons and a myriad of prejudices. 84

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“It is my father, he died before I was born and I never knew his face.” “But no one ever took a picture of your father.” “I know, that is why I have a picture of another person, to represent him.” What would you say? If at the same time, my father had given me advice and principles to follow, wouldn’t it be better to worry about that, instead of limiting myself to having the picture of another person representing him in my wallet? In the case of Jesus, we do something similar.85 We are fortunate to have an extraordinary message of love, peace and understanding that can and should transform our lives and the lives of those around us. Surprisingly, instead of following and deepening our understanding of that message, we are motivated by the high Catholic hierarchy to worship a diversity of human creations that even though they may have artistic value, do not match the real physical appearance of those they are said to represent.

BIBLICAL FOUNDATIONS In the commandments that God gave to Moses, and that Jesus referred to in his conversations, we find this principle first on the list:86 Or worse yet, when we not only put Jesus to one side, and exhibit in places of worship a diverse group of human creations, with faces that could be of public personalities, girlfriends or people known by the artist or author of the work. 85

Exodus 20:4-5

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“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them.” If we observe the “Commandments of the Holy Catholic Church” we will instantly note that this paragraph has simply been eliminated. We must emphasize that this alteration of the sacred scriptures is very grave87 in that this mutilation was not effected on some secondary, irrelevant text, rather on nothing less than the commandments88 that God gave to Moses. The reason for this omission is obvious. With this simple but important commandment, the proliferation of an astronomical amount of statues and other distinct types of images would have been impeded in the Catholic Church. From an anthropologic perspective, we can see that this custom did not come from Christianity, but rather from diverse pagan cultures from the past. The foundation for why they believed they could make such a modification probably came from what we discussed in the last chapter, the erroneous idea that they have some kind of universal permission to, among other things, change the Holy Scriptures. It is true that God is merciful with any human fault, and will forgive us if we ask, but in this particular occasion, not only is it a personal error, but they are motivating an entire congregation to do it too. 87

It is incorrect to omit commandments from the Law of God and substitute them for those made by man (as is the case in the “Commandments of the Holy Catholic Church”) independent of the ecclesiastical authority that does it. As I mentioned above, it is not only a personal sin that is being committed, but rather a premeditated sin that they motivate others to commit. Analyze what James 2:10 says: «For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.“ 88

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Nevertheless, as I also mentioned in the last chapter, when the Lord advised Saint Peter and the rest of the disciples that all that is bound on the earth, shall be bound in heaven, with which He warned us of the incredible repercussions that result from any human act. Palatable proof of the effects of binding and loosing can be seen with this omission of the divine commandment. It has surely caused, in this life and the one to come, a chain of unpredictable consequences for faithful Catholics, completing the warning that Jesus gave. I am convinced that more than one thought in the moment they began to worship images, that to ignore this high prohibition found in nothing less than the “Ten Commandments”, would have irrelevant consequences, but it is not true. I would like to use the Virgin of Guadalupe of Mexico as an example, so that you can judge for yourself, taking into account what you already know about the issue combined with what I will share in the following paragraphs.

VIRGIN OF GUADALUPE The Spanish adoration of this image started before the apparent appearance of December 12, 1531 and even before the discovery of America. The monks who now guard the Guadalupe image in the Extremadura89 Convent, in Spain, estimate that this veneration began in the 12th Century.90 The name “Guadalupe” comes from the Arab word “Wad al luben,” which means “hidden river”. According to an interview with Historian Friar Sebastián García, chronicler of the Guadalupe Monastery in Extremadura, Spain. Published in the Mexican Weekly PROCESO, number 1414, December 2003. 89

A period in which Spain received strong Arab influences as a majority of Spanish territory was dominated by them. 90

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One of many events which occurred before the conquest of Mexico and that is related to this issue is when Christopher Columbus wrote in a letter to the kings in 1494:91 “When I arrived at this island (in the Caribbean) I called it Saint Mary of Guadalupe, in whose hands I was entrusted by Father Prior and the monks when I left Spain.” I want to invite you to examine the chronology of the Guadalupe Phenomenon through the historical documentation I will now present. To better analyze this issue, I have divided the chronology into three time periods:92 1531-1648 The prevailing situation of these years was distinct from what is mentioned in the primary text93 which first described the appearance of the Virgin of Guadalupe near what is now Mexico City. Any careful study shows that those who wrote this legend did not take care to put it in the context of what was actually happening at that time. They probably took this for granted, because they did not imagine the evolution and consequences their writings would cause in the centuries to come. 91

Ibid

My primary sources for this study are “The Chronicles of the Conquest” by Bernadino de Sahagún and Bernal Díaz del Castillo, “Destierro de Sombras” by Edmundo O’Gorman (Autonomous University of Mexico), “The Origin of Guadalupe Worship” by Angel Camiro Gutiérrez Zamora, of EDAMEX, “The Virgin of Guadalupe, Image and Tradition” by David A. Brading, Editorial Taurus, “Tepeyac, Five Centuries of Deception” by Leoncio Garza Valdés of Editorial Plaza-Janes, the dictated answer that Don Joaquín García Icazbalceta presented to Archbishop Don Pelagio Antonio de Labastida y Dávalos, who had asked for a study on the truth of the appearances from the historian. 92

The origins of this legend were first published 117 years after the supposed appearances, in the year 1648. The author was Miguel Sánchez, and it was translated to “Mexican” with evangelistic goals in 1649. The translation was entitled NICAN MOPOHUA, which means “Here is Narrated” in the indigenous language of Nahuatl. 93

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The year was 1531, just 10 years after the terrible trauma of the conquest. The prevalent feeling among the two ethnic groups now living together was one of mutual distrust and suspicion. At the same time, the great differences in customs were manifesting, and they were not rapidly modified. The overwhelming majority of the indigenous peoples did not speak Spanish, nor did the Spaniards speak the native language. This did not stop the Conquistadors from taking an important number of the people to work almost as slaves. In the year 1535, the Tlaltelolco94 Convent was founded, even though in those years the sacraments were not being administered generally to the indigenous people. It was not until 1537 that Bishop Juan de Zumarraga95 began administering widely the sacraments to the “Indians”. To understand better the feelings and thoughts of the time, we must also note that it was not until June 2, 1537, that Pope Paul III published the Papal Bull Sublimis Deus, also known as the Veritas ipsa, where he declared that the “indigenous”96 were human beings, with reason and a soul, just like the Europeans.97

www.cabin.gov.mx/dgpif/historicos/santiago.htm

Found in instructions given by Friar Juan de Zumarraga to his procurators before the Universal Council (Third Point, February of 1537). Quoted from the book “Tepeyac, Five Centuries of Deception.” By Leoncio Garza-Valdes, Editorial Plaza Janes. 95

The word “Indigenous” should not be used as it has been proven that all human beings on the earth came from the same genetic ancestor. (Studies from PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Compton’s Encyclopedia). The term “indigenous” is not only discriminatory, but also to a certain point pejorative. Besides, it is wrongly used, as it was derived from the fact that when Columbus landed in the Americas, he thought he had arrived in India. The reason I include the term in this text is only to use the terms used during the time described, and help us be situated in their way of thinking. 96

Ibid

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We must recognize that the challenge that the first missionaries had was monumental. There were very few friars for the work at hand, which involved first overcoming the language problem, and also the detention of the greedy activities of the first Spanish colonists. They also had to confront the evangelistic task of reaching people who were accustomed to idol worship and human sacrifice. For example, at the Tepeyac Hill, the Aztecs venerated the Goddess Tonantzin, also known by them as the “Mother of God.” She was the object of many long pilgrimages which came from all corners of the Aztec empire. In 1547, Bishop Zumárraga is made the Archbishop of Mexico by Carlos V, with the confirmation of Pope Paul III, but his health began to fail. On June 2, 1548 he dictated his last will and testament, and then passed away the following day. With the death of this Archbishop, two questions arise: a. In all of the voluminous correspondence that Don Juan de Zumarraga had with the kings, subordinates, and many others, why did he never mention anything about the appearances? And b. If in truth he was a protagonist of this event, why did he not ask to be buried near the place the image was venerated, instead of in the Cathedral? The only way we can understand this is to analyze what universal history has to say: The legend of the appearance had not been created yet. It would not have its origin until exactly 100 years after the death of Juan de Zumárraga. At the same time, in Europe, this was happening: The reformers were showing that the church was involved in doctrinal deviations. Instead of studying them and modi63

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fying their ideas, the hierarchy went on the defensive, putting into effect the Counter Reformation and at the same time promoting even more the worship of Mary. Along with these directions came the desire of the Spanish crown to substitute missionary monks with secular clergy and Dominicans in “The New Spain”. These later played a part in the labors of the Inquisition. At the same time they were pushing for more veneration of Mary in America. We can see that in two royal seals sent by Queen Juana to the audiences of the Indies on May 1, 1551,98 where she asks the clergy of New Spain99 to promote the devotion to “Our Lady of Guadalupe” of Extremadura.100 Probably as a consequence of this desire of the crown, around the year 1555, without anyone knowing who did it, an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe101 was placed in a hermitage of Tepeyac. Some referred to this image as “that which appeared” in the hermitage, meaning that someone had placed it there, not that it came from a divine source.102 First Seal of Queen Juana to the Audience of the Indias, Valladolid Spain. May 1, 1551, and the Second Seal expedited precisely in the Monastery of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Valladolid, Spain. Quote in the book “Tepeyac, Five Centuries of Deception” by Leoncio García-Valdés, Ed. Plaza-Janes. 98

A curious note, in the texts of these edicts, she issued this warning “Do not admit the indigenous as members of these brotherhoods.” 99

The Virgin of Guadalupe, en Extremadura, Spain, was venerated, as quoted earlier, since the 12th century. According to Luis González Obregón, Hermán Cortés, in a voyage from Spain in 1530, brought various images of this virgin. These images were later used as a model to paint the Virgin of Tepeyac. 100

During the 16th and half of the 17th century, no confident source dared to even insinuate that this image had a divine source, except for the interesting conversation that the following paragraphs mention. 101

Many of the natives referred to this image during this time as the “new mother of God.” 102

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The following event illustrates further the thinking of this time: On Sunday, September 5, 1556, the new Archbishop of Mexico, Alonso de Montúfar, preached a sermon in the Cathedral, with a message congruent with what we have been studying. It was in honor of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and it motivated the Spaniards to preserve the veneration of her, and exhorted the natives to follow this edifying example. To his surprise, this same day there were commentaries against what he preached, amongst the religious in the Cathedral. This included Friar Alonso de Santiago,103 who expressed his disapproval with these words: “Because they would believe she was the Virgin herself, and they would worship her as they worship an idol. Grant me your favor so that I may bring you a book that has a chapter that speaks to the same.” At which point he held up the Bible. Such was the criticism by the religious workers104 in the church. The opposition was even stronger from the provincial Father of the Franciscans, Friar Francisco de Bustamente. He preached against the words of the Archbishop only two days after, September 8, 1556, in the major mass of the Chapel of San Jose of the Natives, of the San Francisco Monastery in Mexico. This sermon had added relevance in that surprisingly present was the Viceroy Don Luis de Velasco and other congregants, among them, a representative of the Archbishop, though his name is not known.105 103

Testimony of Gonzalo de Alarcón. “Testimonies of 1556” P. 240-241.

104

Testimony of Alonso Sánchez de Cisneros, “Information of 1556” P. 244

105

Ibid P. 215

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In his sermon, Friar Francisco called the image found in the hermitage “apocryphal”, expressing that “I am surprised that this devotion has risen without any foundation,”106 and he later affirmed: “and to come now and tell the natives that an image painted yesterday by an Indian named Marcos107 performed miracles, was to sow great confusion, and destroys the good seed that has been planted.”108 As these important points were made before the viceroy himself, the most relevant was how Archbishop and viceroy responded. The Viceroy says nothing about this matter, and the attitude of the Archbishop was this: That same afternoon109 he spoke to his translator for the natives and asked him to “make them understand how they were to worship, in the devotion to the image of our Lady that was hung at the altar, because it represented the Lady from Heaven, the true Mother of God, and that they would not reverence canvas, nor paint, nor statues, rather what they represented…” Given the magnitude of the accusation, and before whom it was realized, when we see the poor response, we can not help but ask: Why didn’t he deny the claims of Friar Francisco de Bustamente, who expressed clearly and frankly that the image was painted by an indigenous artist named Marcos?110 106

Ibid P218-220

107

Underlined by the author.

Testimony of Juan de Salazar, witness Alonso Sanchez de Cisneros, ibid P. 217, 219, 227, 232, 236, 252 and 250, 108

Before the procurator of the Royal Audience Juan de Salazar and the Bachelor Francisco Salazar, who served as interpreter for the priest Francisco de Manjarrez. “Information de 1556” P. 230. 109

Everything seems to indicate that the painter of the image was a talented member of the School of Arts and Trades of Father Pedro de Gante. His name 110

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If this extraordinary sign had actually occurred in 1531, and for that reason in 1556 they had nothing less than an image from a divine source, why did they not simply reveal that? Would such a dialogue before the viceroy and others been imaginable? What punishment would such disrespect deserve? If the image on Juan Diego’s cloak truly existed, why didn’t they use this celestial manifestation as irrefutable proof against the Protestants, who were accusing the Catholic church of doctrinal deviations, among other things, through excessive worship of Mary? An event of such magnitude, the appearance of the Virgin Mary, and her divine impression on the cloak, if it had been presented, would have been extraordinarily important, not only on a national level but also on an international level. It would also have made simpler the incipient labor of evangelism in these first years. If this miracle were true, why did no one, in the voluminous correspondence with Spain, from religious sites throughout Mexico, even hint at such an occurrence? Why did no historian of that time mention this appearance? Do you think it is possible? There were small references to a certain veneration of the Guadalupe, as we have mentioned, that was imported from Spain, but never was it even insinuated the existence of an image of divine origin.

was Marcos Cipac or Cipatli. It has also been discovered that under the actual image, which has received around 20 restorations, there are two images painted. One dated in 1556 and signed “Marco Aquino,“ and the other dated in 1625 signed “Arrue Calzonzi.” “Tepeyac, Five Centuries of Deception”, Leoncio GarzaValdés, Editorial Plaza Janes.

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But we will see later during this same 16th century, the testimony of the extraordinary historian Friar Bernadino de Sahagun:111 His vision is especially important, as he was a member of the Catholic clergy, and if there was a Divine manifestation, he would have known about it. This version was written, according to the author, in 1576. We will see with his own words what he thought about this issue, and also an interesting description on the religious customs of the natives. “Having visited the fountain, waters and mountains, it seems an opportune place to deal with the principle ancient idolatries that they practiced and still practice in the waters and mountains.” Once he as exposed different rituals that are defined clearly as idolatry, he introduces the issue that we are dealing with: “Near the mountains there are three or four places where they practice solemn sacrifices, and people come from very far away. One of these places is here in Mexico, where there is a small hill that is called Tepeacac, and the Spaniards know it as Tepeaquilla. Now it is know as the Our Lady of Guadalupe. In this place they had a temple dedicated to the mother of the Gods, which was called Tonantzin, which means “Our Mother”. There they practiced many sacrifices in honor of this Goddess.” One of the greatest historians of the 16th century, born in 1499 and died in 1590. The text to which I am referring is found in “General History of the Things of The New Spain,” Volume III, 11 Book, Chapter 12, the last part of the sixth paragraph. The entire version in Castillian is known as the Florentine Codex. Editorial del Consejo Nacional Para la Cultura y las Artes (CONACULTA, Mexico). 111

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And they came from more than 20 leagues, from all corners of Mexico to bring many offerings. Men and women and their servants came to these celebrations. It was a great participation of people in those days, and they all said “Let’s go to the celebration of Tonantzin.” And now that the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe is there, they call her Tonantzin…” A little further on, he complains: “And they should remedy this thing, because the correct name of the Mother of God, Saint Mary, is not Tonantzin, but rather “Dios inantzin”112 It seems that this satanic invention is to justify idolatry under the mistaken name of Tonantzin.” “And they come now from very far to visit Tonantzin, as far as before. Their devotion is suspicious, because in many places there are churches of Our Lady, and they don’t go to them, and they come from far lands to Tonantzin, as before.” Does it not seem illogical to you that this meticulous friar in 1576, 45 years after the supposed appearance, does not make even the slightest mention of this type of miracle? Or was it not sufficiently important to at least mention, even if he personally did not believe it? Isn’t it more logical to believe that in the face of the above described pre-Hispanic worship, someone decided in the following century to take a different road, and they invented the appearance?

Apart from his testimony, with this observation, the author demonstrates knowledge of the language of the natives. 112

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1648-1850 The liar must have a very good memory. Popular proverb

The first “seed” of this phenomenon of the appearance of the Virgin in Tepeyac was sown 117 years after the supposed event. In the year 1648, when the Bachelor Miguel Sánchez, influenced by a friend, the Vicar of the Hermitage, Luis Lasso de la Vega, published a writing called “Image of the Virgin Mother of God of Guadalupe”, a text that is still being distributed, with the story of the divine impression of the image. This book, that did not have any historical foundation or quotes, was justified through “tradition” and in the opinion of the majority of analysts, had more of an evangelistic goal than historical. For that reason, Luis Lasso de la Vega had the book translated to Nahuatl, in which it is known as NICAN MOPOHUA. From the beginning, this story was criticized by many people. In the very year the book was written (1648), a group of writers in Mexico immediately declared the report by Bachelor Sánchez as a mere legend without historical sustenance.113 It is interesting to note that even as the process of dispersing this myth was happening, it had not yet acquired the force it would have in later decades. In the same 17th century there were distinguished people, such as Sor

“Tepeyac, Five Centuries of Deception” Leoncio Garza-Valdés, Editorial Plaza Janes. In this text it mentions that Ágreda Sánchez collected the names of those who denied the appearances over three centuries and that report can be found in the Collection of Guadalupe Documents, in the Public Library of the City of New York. 113

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Juana Inés de la Cruz,114 who considered and expressed openly without problems with a ecclesiastical or civil authority that the Guadalupe story was only a marvelous poetic invention, when she was praising the poet Francisco de Castro.115 According to Friar Servando Teresa de Mier, 116 the Guadalupe text of 1648, with its Biblical and mythological contents, was just a mere literary composition of a sacramental type, which were very popular in the previous century. We should reflect on the fact that text quoted in 1648 is supported only in “tradition.” The most relevant fact is that Guadalupe worship as an appearance did not exist in tradition before 1648, and as a ritual of worship it was restricted to the Spanish minority. For that reason it was necessary, as we saw in the previous pages, that through royal edicts, the veneration of Mary (but not the legend of the appearance) was motivated from the crown, since the last half of the XVI century. These edicts were the answer, according to their thinking, to the

Her original name was Juana de Asbaje y Ramírez (1648-1695) Also known as “The Tenth Muse”. 114

115

Observation published in the Magazine NEXOS, 1996, by José Joaquín Blanco.

Friar Servando Teresa de Mier y Noriega Guerra (1763-1827). He was one of the precursors of Mexican Independence. It is interesting to see the different reactions that were generated a century later to the opinion of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz. As this legend had grown in strength, in December 12, 1796, this friar preached a sermon in honor of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and in it put doubt this version. For this, he was tried and condemned to 10 years of seclusion in a monastery in Spain. 116

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conjugation of elements and conflictive theologies that were being presented in the old continent.117 If the tradition truly existed, why was Friar Francisco de Bustamante allowed to speak freely118 against such ideas in front of the viceroy, without being reproached? And even more relevant, 20 years later, Friar Bernardino de Sahagún (1576) called this phenomenon idolatry. Is it possible that he had never heard of the appearances? Or at least heard a rumor about them? On the other hand, we must consider that a tradition, when it exists, is not in itself a reason to justify its perpetuation, in that by nature they are not unchangeable. The moment any custom is instituted it necessarily needs to replace a previous custom. In other words, the tradition of Guadalupe substituted the worship of Tonantzin, and the worship of Tonantzin replaced sun worship and on and on throughout history. Some customs and traditions, if they are worthy, should be maintained. Others should evolve in their function based on changing human values and they should also be oriented to the truths that are revealed from God. Imagine for a moment that the use or custom of eating raw meat or using animal skins for clothes, or the cannibalism of thousands of years past, had not been modified, for the simple fact that we were dealing with an It important to restate that the royal edicts (ibid) that motivate said veneration (one of them sent from the Guadalupe Convent of Extremadura Spain) prohibited the inclusion of “indigenous” in the Guadalupe brotherhoods. 117

He even called the image apocryphal. Testimony of Alonso Sánchez de Cisneros, “Information of 1556.” P. 218-220. 118

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ancestral tradition. Does it seem correct to continue with these customs for traditions sake? In the case of the beginning of this legend, from the writings of 1648, and as the decades passed, many considered that this intrigue was highly convenient for developing a “ritual of substitution”, mainly for the indigenous population. In 1787, a group of painting specialists, headed by Bartolache,119 closely examined the image and noted that there were various layers of paint, that it had been retouched, and it also had some corrections. The principle spaniard cosmographologist from the Indies, Juan Bautista Muñoz, in 1794 presented before the Royal Academy of History in Madrid, a report that revealed the criticism of Fray Bernardino de Sahagún against the Guadalupe Ritual, showing it as an indigenous custom that had the goal of continuing idolatry, as we mentioned before, and that it was a ritual that had no confident historical foundation.120 This report was not published until 1817, and had great resonance among Mexican Scholars. The only serious effort to respond to Muñoz was “The Appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe of Mexico (1849)” by Julián de Tornel y Mendívil121 (1801-1860), which did not provide any proofs. He argued that “he wrote for the believers, and for the love of the glories of our country.” José Ignacio Bartolache said that the painting had not been painted on a cloak, but rather a much finer material, known as “Manta Cotense.” We should also note that the said painting is 68 by 43 inches, which is too large for a cloak, unless Juan Diego was over 6 feet 7 inches tall. 119

“The Virgin of Guadalupe, Image and Tradition”, David A. Brading, Editorial Taurus. “Image and Tradition Across Five Centuries” P. 26 120

121

Ibid. P. 377

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1850-2002 As the decades passed, the amount of ink flowing increased among those who denied the appearances as well as those who supported them. Nevertheless, in the popular environment, said legend grew in an important way. During this time a relevant event occurred in the chronicles of the Guadalupe issue. The Archbishop Pelagio Antonio de Labastida y Dávalos received in the year 1883 a request of imprimatur of a book that pondered the appearances. The author of the book was Jose Antonino González.122 With this new book on the Guadalupe appearances, which hoped to receive ecclesiastical support, the Archbishop decided in a prudent way to go to no one less than his friend Don Joaquin García Icazbalceta,123 to elucidate this thorny issue once and for all from a historical context. At first Don Joaquín refused, but the Archbishop insisted. He “begged me as a friend, and ordered me as an authority” and the historian accepted, but not without clarifying that he would do it as an expert on ecclesiastical and colonial history, without entering into the theological or canonical dimension. Report on the investigation related to the appearances of Tepeyac, sent by Don Joaquin Garcia Icazbalceta. «Publications for the Scientific Study of Religions.“ Copy of the original text from October 1883. 122

Joaquin Garcia Icazbalceta (1825-1894) is considered the best historical scholar of the colonial Mexico. His domination of the Historical-Critical method of investigation, together with his intellectual qualities, led him to write such important works as “Don Francisco Juan de Zumárraga, First Bishop and Archbishop of Mexico” 1991. He is considered by encyclopedias and contemporary intellectuals as an expert in 16th century Mexican history. (Century of the supposed appearances.) 123

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Once he finished his investigation, this scholar presented his revealing report, in October 1883. It was 60 pages long124 and included 70 arguments. This opinion is particularly important, as García Icazbalceta was not only an imminent scholar in the academic realm, but he also was exempt from any suspicion that he would profit from this controversy. He was a devoted Catholic, and if that were not enough, he asked the Archbishop to keep his report a secret. It would be impossible in the limits of this book to put all of the report125 here; I will present a few of the 70 points that make up its contents. When he speaks of the “negative argument”126 that the defenders of the appearance use, he wrote: 9. “We fall now in the negative argument, highly supported by the apologists of the appearance, because without a doubt they know that there can be no other argument against an event that did not occur. Because it would be absurd to demand that the contemporaries would have the gift of prophecy, and guess that in the future someone would invent an occurrence in their time, and by so prophesying they would leave writings in anticipation that it was not true and discredit those who said it was.” 124

In its printed version.

I recommend that you find the entire text of the investigative report of Garcia Icazbalceta, so that you can analyze it in a thorough way. 125

When the “negative argument” is mentioned, he is referring to the handy resource used by the defenders of the appearance which is based on the idea that no one denied the appearances during the period of 1531 to 1648. Obviously no one denied them because no one knew about them nor are they even mentioned. 126

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On the supposed participation of the then Bishop Juan de Zumarraga he writes: 12. “The first witness of the appearance should have been Friar Zumárraga, to whom is attributed a principle role in the event, and the subsequent placements and movement of the image. But in all of his many writings that we know of there is not even the slightest allusion to the event nor the hermitage: the name of Guadalupe is not even mentioned one time.” “We have his doctrinal books, letters, opinions, a pastoral exhortation, two testaments and some information about his good works.” A little further on in the same argument he continues. “If Friar Zumárraga had been such a favored witness of such a great sign, he would not have been content to only write it on paper, but he would have proclaimed it all over the world, and especially in Spain, where he passed the following year. He would have promoted the ritual with all of his strength, applying a part of the funds he gave out with such liberty. He would have left some command or memory to this sanctuary in his testament;…” “The witnesses of his good works would have also said something. In the eloquent exhortation that he directed to the religious to help him in the conversion of the natives, to motivate them, he would have surely said something in relation this the sign that made obvious the preference with which the mother of God saw those new believers. But there was nothing, absolutely nothing in any part of his writings.” 76

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As to what concerned the historians at the time, he says: 14. “Friar Bartolomé de las Casas was here in the years 1538 and 1546. Undoubtedly he knew and dealt with Friar Zumárraga. They both assisted a meeting in 1546. From his mouth, he could have heard of the miracle. With all of this, in none of his many writings, does he speak of it…” In the 15th point he mentions that Friar Jeronimo de Mendieta, who came in 1552, Muñoz Camargo (1576), Father Valdés (1579), Father Durán (1580), Father Acosta (1590), Dávila Padilla (1596), Tezozomoc (1598), Ixtlixochitl (1600) and Grijalva (1611) all are absolutely silent on this point. Not one mentions the appearance. The same has happened, he continues, with Father Gabriel de Talavera (1597), the Franciscan Chronicler Daza (1611), the chronicler Gil González Dávila (1649) and the rest, who also were silent about the history of the appearance. In relation to Friar Bernardino de Sahagún, who we mentioned earlier, he says: 19. “Friar Sahagún came in 1529 and should know about the history of the appearance, if this had happened two years later. No one dealt with the Indians as he did: He could have known perfectly well Juan Diego and the rest of the people who were involved in this issue. Despite this, he determinedly says that ‘I do not know for certain the origin of that foundation:’, and in the two passages quoted he says clearly that he did not like the devotion of the Indians, as he took it as idolatry.” 77

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As for what the King of Spain knew, he wrote: 20. “In those same times the King asked D. Martín Enríquez what was the origin of that sanctuary. The Viceroy answered him with the date of September 25, 1575, that in the years 1555 or 1556 there was a hermitage with the image of our lady, who they called Guadalupe, the same name the Virgin had in Spain…” but they did not exchange one word about any “appearances”. In relation (Point 21) to the supposed mention of the appearances given by apologists during the 16th century, he manifests that they confused the adoration that was present in those years with the historical references to some type of divine sign: “All of the apologists, without exception, have fallen in an unexplainable error, though they are talented men. They have constantly confused the antiquity of the worship with the truth of the appearance and miraculous painting on the cloak of Juan Diego.” In respect to the absence of news of the Guadalupe appearance in the history of the colony and the Catholic Church of the time he expresses: 25. “Please note, Your Holiness, that nothing is said of the appearance of the Virgin of Guadalupe in the three Mexican councils, nor in the acts of the Ecclesiastical and Secular councils, before P. Sánchez’s book.” About the universal silence before 1648, he wrote: 28. “As you can see, the silence about this issue is complete before P. Sánchez’s book. There is no good 78

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reason to suppose that during more than a century so many important and pious people, separated by time and place, would be in agreement to hide such a glorious event for our religion and our nation.” When he refers to the rebuke of 1556, mentioned in anterior pages, that Friar Francisco de Bustamante made to Archbishop Alonso de Montúfar, in front of the viceroy and other listeners, when, among other things he called the image apocryphal, he wrote: 31. Monsignor Montúfar was hurt by the comments. He did not tolerate nor was very friendly to the Franciscans. With that public reproach and in front of such people, and even more for having been attacked by the lay people, he began from the following day to present information which you have in your possession. “His objective was to know if P. Bustamante had said something that needed reproach. The three questions asked were to understand what the preacher had said. Nine witnesses were called and there declarations proved that P. Bustamente had preached what we mentioned earlier.” “Others added that he was not the only one who thought in that way. The rest of the Franciscans also had the same opinion. Everyone opposed the devotion, and even used verses from the Bible that command that we only worship God.127 They also claimed that the hermitage should not be called Guadalupe, but rather Tepeaca or Tepeaquilla, and

127

Underlined by the author.

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that the pilgrimage there was not to serve God, but rather was an offense to Him…” Later he added: “Nothing was done against P. Bustamante, who, despite that sermon, was again elected provincial in 1560, and later general superintendent.” 32. “Archbishop you have the original file, and you can see for yourself the authenticity and you can also find what I left out of this report. After having read this document no one can doubt the Appearance of the Virgin in the 1531 and the miraculous painting on the cloak of Juan Diego was an invention born years later.” Here we see what he wrote about the true author of the image: 34. “Here we have, proven in an unchallengeable way, that 25 years after the supposed event, and in the face of many contemporaries, P. Bustamante, in this solemn occasion, condemned the new devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. He asked for severe punishment for those who rose up to publish testimonies of false miracles. He also published that the image was the work of an Indian, and no one raised a voice to contradict him.” “Becerra Tanco128 wrote that they had just verified the last appearance to Father Zumarraga, and that it was spread “all over the fame of the miracle”

One of the most distinguished defenders of the appearances. Author of “The Happiness of Mexico” 128

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and a great group of people came to venerate the image. If this is true, Archbishop, how come so many eye witnesses, the entire town, didn’t disprove the charges of the preacher by proving the divine origin of the image, so as to justify that devotion?” “How could they hear without making a scandal that this supposed divine image was actually the work of an Indian and not a marvel of the angels? How did he who said that from the pulpit not get restless? Archbishop, why, after being accused coram populo of motivating idolatrous devotion and of preaching false miracles, would they timidly justify themselves instead of confounding the preacher with proof of the great sign?” “If the original documents exist, they only needed to be published, we are not lacking in printing presses. If they had disappeared, that was the proper occasion to easily replace them with information, instead of waiting 110 year later.”129 Referring to the foundation of Miguel Sanchez’s text of 1648, he wrote:

Here he is referring to a type of judgment prepared in 1666, where the incipient defenders of the appearance, conscious of the lack of historical sustenance, and for the open opposition manifested from the beginning by different writers, pretended to demonstrate, without any documentation, and based on testimonies of the authenticity of the appearances. (Testimonies of 1666) The testimony was usually given by a witness (from the Latin word “testificare.” “Etymological Dictionary of the Spanish Language” Joan Corominas, Editorial Gredos; and means “Person that sees a thing.”) As a result, it was unlikely that they could present witnesses to the appearances 135 years after they happened. The truth is, with testimonies like these, anyone could attempt to “demonstrate the authenticity” of whatever, the only limit being ones own imagination. 129

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36. “Now here is the book that Bachelor Sánchez published (the first in which we see the story of the appearance to Juan Diego), and everything changes as if from a spell. Could it be that that book related a glorious story, supported by authentic and unchallenged documents, that was until then unknown?” Once he exposes that the same Miguel Sanchez confessed that he has nothing to support his story, insisting that he has on his side “tradition”, he continues saying: 37. “To publish such a strange story, he should have made known with better punctuality the sources from where he got it. He should not have been content with vague generalities, qualifying in his own authority as “enough” some papers, without saying what they were or who their author was. He trusted in the credulity of his readers, and in this he was not disappointed.” As regards to the much quoted book NICAN MOPUHUA,130 García Icazbalceta is in agreement (Point 37) with the majority of historians, regarding the true origin of this text: “Adam awakened, in that Lasso de la Vega took the issue so to heart, that in the following year, 1649, he printed an account, his or of someone

The appearance apologists, with the desire to provide historical evidence of this translation of Miguel Sanchez’s text, decided the following: Without any foundation of any type, and to make it more “credible”, they decided to attribute it to Antonio Valeriano (1520?-1605?), even though absolutely no one in that century makes reference to any Guadalupe appearance. 130

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else’s translation, we do not know, in Mexican131 which was used to spread the P. Sánchez’s story to the Indians.” As to what this legend does for the true service to God, he expressed: 38. “This book came out at an opportune moment to gain credit. The admirable credulity of the time, together with the lost piousness, made them admit that it seemed to resound with the glory of God, without noting, as many do not note now, that the Real Truth is not honored by falsity or error.” He continued relating the results of his careful analysis, until point 70, where he concludes: “With all of my heart I would want that such an honorable miracle for our country would be true, but I have found that it is not; if we are obligated to believe and share the true miracle, we are also prohibited from spreading and supporting the false ones.” A few lines later he adds: “In my youth I believed, as do all Mexicans, in the truth of the miracle. I do not remember from where my doubts came, and to rid myself of them, I went to the apologists, which converted my doubts into certainty that this event did not occur. I am not the only one. For this reason, in my judgment it is a delicate thing to continue defending the story. If I have written about the story here, it was out of obedience to the precept of the Archbishop.” “For the same reason, I beg with all the intensity that I can, that this report, son of obedience, would NICAN MOPOHUA, as we mentioned earlier, is nothing more than a Nahuatl version of Miguel Sánchez’s book. 131

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not be presented to other eyes or pass to other hands, and Our Illustrated Lordship has promised that it will not be dispersed. I kiss your pastoral ring, your affectionate friend and obedient servant.” If we observe the solidity of this and many other historical proofs, that totally show that there were no appearances of the Guadalupe, we will understand why during the last 471 years, the Catholic church has denied giving official backing132 to the supposed miracle. The biggest boom in the veneration of the Guadalupe has been at the end of the 20th century, with Pope John Paul II’s visits to Mexico, when he showed his personal predilection for such image. This process reached its culmination in 2002, with the sanctification of Juan Diego, the indigenous native to whom the Virgin supposedly appeared in 1531. With this sanctification, the Catholic Church gave their total recognition of the existence of this sign, which obligates us to reflect on a number of issues I want to share with you. If we are in the presence of such an extraordinary event, why wasn’t this step taken within the almost 5 centuries beforehand? As we will see in the following chapter, this is explained by the substantial modification of the sanctification process, where among other things, they have eliminated the

Even though some popes personally expressed a preference or affection for this supposed event. 132

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“Devil’s advocate”, an important element that served as a counterweight to unmask those causes that were not correctly founded from a historical or theological point of view. On January 25, 1983,133 Juan Pablo II officially changed the system of sanctification, and he issued an Apostolic Constitution titled “Divinus Perfectionis Magister”, in which was ordered a radical reform in the process of the creation of saints. Nevertheless, this important modification, which was made to speed up the process, substantially altered the balance that existed before. Imagine for a moment that in secular judicial processes someone deciding, in order to speed up trials, to do without one of the two parts, whether it be the accuser, the district attorney, or his counterpart, the defense attorney. What effect do you think this would produce? The proliferation of a monumental amount of “innocent” or “guilty parties”, depending on the part that was eliminated, don’t you believe? By eliminating the “Devil’s Advocate”, a person who for centuries had the important mission of unmasking fraudulent processes, the results can be seen: it has generated an exorbitant amount of saints. Before steps were taken to canonize Juan Diego, many members of the high Catholic hierarchy gave their opinions on the matter: they opposed to recognize such “mira-

“The Fabrication of the Saints” by Kenneth L. Woodward, Editorial Ediciones B. 133

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cle.” They did not want to be treacherous or unbelieving, they simply wanted to avoid the tremendous discredit that sooner or later would fall on the church, in that a canonization could be passed that could easily be disproved with the slightest historical or theological investigation.

SUPPORT FOR THE APPARITION To all of this you may ask, what foundation do the apologists have for this supposed miracle? Does another type of history not recognized by the experts exist? Perhaps Miguel Sánchez and Lasso de la Vega in 1648 were, without justifying them, the most naïve. Perhaps they thought “the ends justify the means.” Maybe when they made up this story, they were trying to establish a type of “substitution ritual” to replace the above mentioned worship of the goddess Tonantzin by the indigenous people. We should remember this: the incomparable message of life, love, peace and understanding that is Christianity requires no inventions or lies to be communicated effectively. In any case, in order to aid the monumental task of evangelization, it would have produced better results if the church, in a general way, took on the exemplary attitude of the Bishop of Michoacán, Don Vasco de Quiroga. He held more closely to the principles of true Christianity, and for that reason, won the total and absolute support of his people without needing to use any man made inventions. The issue most worthy of criticism was and continues to be the persistence and purification of this myth by some 86

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members of the High Catholic Hierarchy, knowing that they have nothing to back it up. Let us look at the example in the 19th century, when Don Pelagio Antonio de Labastida y Davalos received in a confidential way, the report made by García Icazbalceta. How did he respond? Given the choice of either maintaining “popular support” or following what was established in the Bible and history, which did he choose? Did he expose the truth to the people? Could it be that he did not know what the Bible had to say about it? Given the abysmal absence of documented support, perhaps the most important step that the appearance apologists took was attributing deliberately the authorship of NICAN MOPOHUA134 to Antonio Valeriano, an author who worked way before 1648, something that of course, they can’t prove, and hope the faithful will believe blindly. But an action like this, sooner or later, could be known by the majority. Actually, for those who have even the most superficial historical knowledge of these events, the attribution of the authorship of NICAN MOPOHUA to Valeriano seems to be mere silliness.

Do not think that the unfounded endorsement of the authorship of this text to Antonio Valeriano (indigenous author and sculptor of the 16th century) was an innocent or naïve act. It was perfectly calculated to historically move the beginning of the Guadalupe phenomenon backward in time, to a date before 1648. If you were to ask them to prove that authorship, they surely would use a “negative argument” similar to the one quoted by García Icazbalceta, arguing that “no one denies it.” This is an absurd argument as no one from a previous century could possibly deny something that happened if there never was a mention of the event, as it was fabricated in the following century. The specialists agree, even many apologists of the appearances, that NICAN MOPOHUA was written by various authors, surely a group of natives in 1649, hired for the purpose by Lasso de la Vega. 134

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For example, there are people who have spent long periods of time in nothing less than the General Archive of the Indies in Seville, Spain, analyzing thousands of documents, trying to find the slightest evidence of the Guadalupe miracle, without finding absolutely anything before 1648. Before such an empty history, they thought up some original but useless devices, some which I want to expose. One of these devices that they have used is based on a spot of paint in the retina of the eye of the image, where there miraculously is an image of the silhouette of Juan Diego. Then it occurred to them a terrible problem with this image: someone was going to notice that in this case that the person in the retina should have been there in an inverted form, as are all images formed in the back of the ocular globe. When confronted with this argument, they decided to maintain a discreet silence. Then they assured us that other almost microscopic bits of paint in one of the eyes was nothing less the reflection of 13 individuals, not in the retina, but on the cornea, which included Juan Diego, Juan de ZumĂĄrraga and 11 other personalities from the 16th century. This argument is even more improbable, in that, among other things, in order for the images to have been printed on the cornea, the thirteen people had to be all together at the moment the image was miraculously printed, something that did not occur, according to their own story. Later, it occurred to them another idea they thought would have more impact. They claimed that stars on the Virginâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cloak matched the exact position of the constellations on December 12, 1531. 88

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Again it seemed that reality was not on their side. First of all, the position of the constellations of December of 1531 and of the same month of the present year would practically be the same, in that the variation in the stellar maps occurs over millions of year, not in the shorter, astronomically speaking, lapse of 500 years. Nevertheless, the fact that they have appealed to the stellar position denotes a desire to impress at whatever cost, with full awareness they have no solid base for the appearances. Also, the similarity of the stellar position in 1531, or to the present moment, with the cloak, does not exist anyway, and if you possess a stellar map of that time of the year, I invite you to compare the two. It seems the position of the stars on the image basically obeys the space the artist had available and not any stellar map. Also, the design of the stars, according to photos from distinctive times, has been modified throughout the different restorations that have been done. Another thing the apologists assure us of is that the “preservation” of the image is a product of another miracle, but this has also been contradicted. The painter who worked in the last two restorations, in an interview with a well-known Mexican weekly135 declared something completely different. PROCESO Magazine, Number 1343, July 2002. The painter José Antonio Flores Gómez, who twice participated in the restoration of the image, among other things declared in the interview: a. – “When I had in front of me the image of Guadalupe and I could observe it closely, until that moment I realized it was not a divine work, but the work of an artist.” B. – He estimated that there were around 20 restorers before him. C. – He explained that he always takes photos before and after each restoration that he is asked to do, but in this case they took the film from him. D. – He participated in the restorations of 1947 and 1973. 135

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If that was not enough, the image, as is the case with most paintings, has small anthropomorphic errors. For example, the hands are smaller than they should be, something that would not be the case if the image was from a divine origin. Also, the dimensions of the painting (68 x 43 inches) does not coincide with the dimensions of an indigenous cloak. If in the moment of the legends creation (1648), the presentation of this image as one of divine origin did not have any justification from a theological or historical point of view, now more than ever, and sooner or later, the fabrication of this event will turn against its creators. Another way they have tried to support the appearances is to attribute many miracles to the image. In reality, divine manifestations can present themselves in our world, but I would like to share with you some thoughts on this issue. Any given favorable result before an uncertain or conflictive circumstance is not in and of itself a proof of the existence of a deity. For example, if Julius Cesar invoked in one of his battles Mars or Jupiter, and the results were favorable, that does not prove that those gods exist. The favorable result could have been a consequence of better preparation or strategy, or simply the product of the same law of probabilities. In parallel, if in some occasion a miracle occurs, and that manifestation came from God, I must say that our Father is powerful, so that despite the fact someone used an inadequate process, God favored the person with a miracle, considering, perhaps, the good intentions of the person who asked. 90

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In the middle ages they used medical procedures that today would provoke authentic terror in any sick person. In those years past a certain minimum number of patients were actually cured. But that does not mean that for the excellence of the used methods the person became well, but that they became well despite the use of them. If God has manifested at times in some cases, despite the fact that inadequate processes were used, what favorable surprises could wait for believers who act just as our God has commanded us? Also, we must take into account that the same Bible tells us that not all signs and wonders that we see come from God. Fortunately for the apologists of the appearances, the tests indicate that in the much quoted Guadalupe phenomenon, it was not a sign, but rather an invention that for convenience grew in force as time passed. Because, if there had actually been a supernatural manifestation on the cloak, the situation would be even more complicated for them, since it would have fallen under a warning that Jesus himself made about these types of signs:136 â&#x20AC;&#x153;And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not: For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.â&#x20AC;?

136

Mark 13:21-23

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TRAPS Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 1 Peter 5:8

I do not want you to imagine the Devil as a menacing person dressed in red, with horns and a pitchfork. Nevertheless, there are numerous times in both the Old and New Testaments, which have mentioned in different tones his existence, origin and deeds. We should also be conscious of what makes him truly dangerous. It is not necessarily his intelligence, but his ability to deceive. He can easily conceal one thing with another, putting before us phenomenal stumbling blocks, which he makes look like attractive and seductive truths. For example, if this entity, or whatever you want to call him, desires that a young person get involved with drugs, do not think that for one minute he will tell the truth of what awaits him, how it will destroy his health, finances, family relationships, feelings, studies, etc. He will invite him to discover a new way where he will find the peace and happiness he has been looking for. He will tell him that he will have more strength, be nicer, and other positive things. If the young person does not accept the offer after these arguments, he will try others. He will awaken his curiosity, making him see in some way that â&#x20AC;&#x153;you can not reject what you do not knowâ&#x20AC;?, trying to introduce him to this demented world of drug abuse which will eventually destroy him. When the Devil wants someone to murder another person, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe that he will invite him to commit one of 92

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greatest atrocities against mankind, an act that will stupidly destroy his family, cause the law to persecute him, and torment his conscience, among other things. Rather he will insinuate that the person to be killed has deceived him and does not deserve to live, that he will be doing a good for society, and if he doesn’t do it first, the other will do it to him. If that doesn’t work, he will try other ingenious traps. If the Devil wants someone to steal, he will not let them see the damage they will cause to themselves and others with this action. He will instead plant in their minds that it is necessary and just, taking into consideration the circumstances. He will make him think, that person does not deserve or need what you are going to steal. These are just a few of the resources and unimaginable tricks he uses to deceive people. Any human being who is conscious of the world around him will recognize the existence of a marvelous God and His Word. I can almost promise you that in the majority of occasions, he will not say “God doesn’t exist” or “Jesus didn’t come” because he knows we won’t believe such a thing. On the other hand, he can insinuate that “those theories don’t apply to our world” and other ingenious reasons, but one of the most subtle and deceiving is putting something between you and the Lord and hoping you will be satisfied with that relationship. It happens all the time. The Devil can say that such an object is the representative of God, and that the object is why such “miracle” occurred. He will try to deceive you into believing this thing is in charge, an intercessor, mediator or some other similar ideas, hoping that you will deny or forget the expressed prohibition of your Lord to not place anything between you and Him. 93

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If we reflect a little on the message the supposed Guadalupe miracle brought to the believer, we will see that there is nothing, it was an attempt to deceive the believer to place something between you and God. But in Latin America, an overwhelming majority of Catholics, except for a few honorable exceptions, in which I hope you are included, have chosen to adore137 this image. The contents of God’s Word, and the consequent individual and social actions that result from obeying it, are noticeably absent from the Latin American society.

CONSEQUENCES When one chooses to venerate an image, a monumental error is committed. It is a transgression of an expressed commandment of God. His word constitutes a powerful seed that is capable of entirely transforming your own life and those around you. Understandably, the first affected by this error is the believer, who deprives himself of the opportunity to direct himself to the marvelous Lord of Heaven, and believe me, he does not need us, but instead we need Him. After seeing the personal effects we must examine the inevitable social repercussions that every human act projects to the person’s sphere of influence. Has the Christian Gospel transformed your life and those who are around you? There is an easy way to discover if this message has permeated our community: If we see transformed men and Or “venerate” which they use to avoid the expressed prohibition found in the Bible. 137

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women, perfectly integrated families, the absence of theft and corruption, respect and understanding toward fellow human beings, social and political order, and an infinite number of positive elements, we are then getting close to what our Lord wants for all. If in contrast, there is a situation of doubt, fear, envy, kidnappings, thefts and every type of deception, perhaps the majority of us walk in a lost state and we are not following authentic Christian doctrine. This disobedience to the divine mandate, the fabrication of images and imposed worship of them is an example of what the lack of adherence to that established in the true Christian gospel leads to, and that is exactly what has led us to such a lost situation. The foundation of Guadalupe worship is on pins and needles, which have been situated dangerously. Its future has the same strength as an inflated balloon. Only a small amount of truth about the origin, mass distributed, would act as a pin in the balloon, destroying this myth and showing this legend for what it is, a man made fabrication. We said in previous chapters, that if Saint Peter had successors or representatives, something that is never mentioned in the Bible, they would surely act in the same way that the apostle did, don’t you think? How did Peter teach the gospel? Did he preach even once about some type of appearance or sign distinct from what he saw while with Jesus? Did he act thinking that “the ends justify the means?” Let us analyze his words: “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming 95

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of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”138 What did the apostle Paul have to say about the same issue?139 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” I respectfully exhort the hierarchy of the Catholic Church to take up again the true Christian message. The Gospel is sufficiently powerful in and of itself. We do not have to rely on some type of subterfuge, machinations, or lies. They end up getting in the way, and above all they are contrary to the desires of God.

138

2 Peter 1:16

139

2 Timothy 4:3

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CHAPTER V SAINTS In previous chapters, I commented that in order to have access to a superior truth, from a human point of view, it is necessary to have the participation of many, instead of the opinion of just one. But there are issues that even with a total ideological exchange it is difficult to get very far in reaching a consensus. One of these issues deals with the determination or judgment of the supposed “holiness” of just one person. Believe me in this specific case, even if we had the combined participation of absolutely all the humans who live on this planet, we would not obtain a reliable judgment. I will share reasons I can dare make such an assertion in the following points.

INTERNAL UNKNOWNS A well known fact in psychology is that humans present a “mask” in front of everyone else. It comes from the desire to project a determined image, but our internal reality is something different. Only God can have access to that in a complete way, revealing aspects that even we do not know about ourselves. From a merely human perspective, in the preparation of this exterior mask, or the “external me” a series of conscious and unconscious motives participate.

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On one occasion I had the opportunity to meet a certain political figure140 who had all believing that he had a profound concern for the most vulnerable sectors of our community. He was so good at projecting that desired image, that not only I, but a great number of people with whom I exchanged points of view were fully convinced of his incredible human and social sensitivity. One day destiny wanted me to know his true way of behaving, which I happened to see accidentally when I saw how he dealt with some issues with another person. Believe me that his behavior was absolutely and totally disappointing, but at the same time I was happy to have this opportunity. I could appreciate first hand how it is common for human beings to have two or more ways of socially interacting. As an example of the particular human trait, I mention again the case quoted in chapter one of the Catholic priest Marcial Maciel.141 In a subtle way, this priest made allusions, suggesting to his close friends that he should be canonized, using phrases such as:142 “At my death, it is only natural that my legionnaires will fight for my canonization.”143 140

I prefer to not mention his name.

Taken from the book “The Legionnaire” by Alejandro Espinosa, Editorial Grijalbo. 141

142

Ibid P. 269

The word “holy” comes from the Latin SANCTUS, sacred, and SANCIRE which means consecrate. Sanction (qualify) or also according to other opinions it means “separate” (from worldly affairs). The word Canonize comes from the Latin CANON, and also the Greek word KANON which means “bar”(for measuring), “rule” or “norm.” Etymological Dictionary of Castellano, Joan Corominas, Editorial Gredos. 143

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Nevertheless, by mere coincidence and after having resisted bribe attempts and death threats144, one of his close associates exposed a completely different reality. Don’t you believe that we as humans are totally and absolutely incapable of knowing the interior of each man and woman in the world? Have there been cases of supposed saints where the only thing that we saw and knew was one facet of their life? Does anyone exist in this world with the ability to fully know even one complete life? The only one who can know in a complete way a human being is Jesus Christ. As an example of his capacity to see deep into someone, analyze the following dialogue:145 “Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.146

144

Ibid P. 250 and 251

145

Juan 1:45-50

Underlined by the author. If you ever wonder why Nathanael was under the fig tree, the author’s personal point of view is that he was praying there. He might have chosen this place since no one observed him at that location. Hence, it is highly probable that the Lord made Philip call him precisely for that action by Nathanael. 146

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Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.” If you, dear reader, know of someone who can know a human being in this way, I beg of you that you would let the world know, so that this person will be invited to immediately form a part of the “Cause for the Saints” in Rome. If you do not know anyone with this ability, I beg of you to leave this prerogative to the only one who does. To continue in any other way, not only will lead us to grave errors, but we will also fall in the frightfully ridiculous supposition of attributing faculties that are not ours to attribute. As many vain nuts Cover themselves with a healthy shell, As deceptive apples That show healthy color But inside they have a worm, So are we, with our pain, Many in our spains Show a Christian color. Friar Inigio de Mendoza

PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES A fact recognized by specialists in this field is that each one of us is made up of a combination of factors, among them our decisions and our personal will. On one occasion my daughter asked me “Why are some apples sweeter than others?”

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I explained to her the that each apple was influenced by the variety they belonged to, the amount of sun and water they received, whether or not they were victims of infestations, the nutrients they received along with the type of care they received. I also told her that the apples of any given tree would have a different flavor, size and consistency from each other. This seemed strange to her, so I tried to explain that it was not the individual apples fault, but rather their different qualities were a result of the conditions that surrounded them. I told her even though they grew on the same tree, some were closer to the sun, or had other advantages that the rest did not have. In this respect we are just like the fruit of the trees. We too will be a product of a great variety of factors. Who we are is a result of genetic, environmental, educational, nutritional, motivational elements, among others. What makes us different from the apples are the elements that are influenced by our free will. Is there one human being who could possibly evaluate someone else considering the circumstances that surround him? He who thinks he can has no idea of the omniscient and omnipresent knowledge he needs to have to do such a thing. If Mr. John Smith lived a seemingly excellent life, who would be able to tell us, if he had had more favorable circumstances around him, whether or not he could have lived even better? And who could tell us that Mrs. Jane Smith, who had a horrible childhood filled with illness, with abusive par101

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ents, lack of nutrition and education, but with thousands of difficulties and superhuman effort, could still feed and educate her children. Is there someone on the planet that could assure that she could not find more grace in the eyes of God, than others who had everything and did not have to live with such effort? Believe me, dear reader, the only one capable of a correct judgment in these cases is God Himself. There is not one human being or group of human beings, even if all joined together, that could even come close to a just analysis. If someone dares to try, not only do they run the risk of making a mistake, but also with all respect I say they are invading an area that does not belong to them.

INTRINSIC HOLINESS? Another common error is the assumption that there could exist any human being on this planet who could have been holy by their own strength. Believe me, anyone who reaches this level did not do so by their own merits, though they may have had some influence, but by the grace and mercy of God. Analyze the following dialogue:147 â&#x20AC;&#x153;And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

147

Mark 10:17:18

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And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.”148 Even the first Christians, among them Mary, Paul, Peter and others, show us that in very distinct occasions they always needed to pray149 in order to continue receiving the grace of God, which is the only true source of holiness. Look at what Mary expressed in her moment: “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.150 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden…” We also must not lose sight of the fact that human vision does not necessarily coincide with Divine vision. Our judgments are limited, and often a result of different influences such as mass media and other superficial forms of judgment, but worse yet, we do not even coincide with each other in determined aspects or perspectives.151 For that reason, if among the members of the human race we manifest different points of view, why have we supposed that God will have the same perspective as some of us, like those who have called themselves judges?

Underlined by the author. We can see here that Jesus did not want to give testimony of his own goodness, even though he expressed that no one could be really good on their own. 148

Acts 1:14 “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.” 149

Lucas 1:46-48 Underlined by the author. Observe how Mary expressed her need to be saved herself, by saying that God was “her Savior.” 150

As proof of the different perspectives we can possess as humans on the same issue or person, I invite you to appreciate two versions of the same person: Saint Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria. Appendix “C” 151

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Without supposing to pass judgment on the supposed holiness or lack thereof in someone, and only to exemplify what I want to say, I want to present the case of one of the prime contemporary examples of holiness in the Catholic Church: Mother Theresa of Calcutta. There exists an almost universal consensus that Mother Theresa gave her life to the poor of the world, and that she was truly virtuous. It seems that all of her behavior was extraordinary. The image of her picking up the sick in the streets of Calcutta will forever remain in human history as an example to follow. From my particular point of view, she was an exceptional woman. But to show that there exist other points of view, I quote the author Hitchens152 about her: This author assures us that far from being a universal example of goodness, she represents the fundamentalist wing of the Catholic Church that spreads an inadequate message to the impoverished. Mother Theresa, according to Hitchens, was not a friend to the poor; she was a friend of poverty. She represented an approach to misery that closed its eyes to the causes and possible solutions, as she opposed with all her strength birth control, she saw anti-contraceptives as a form of venom. Hitchen affirms that she represented the “anti-modern fanatism dressed up in piety.” When she received the Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Theresa declared that abortion constituted a great threat to world peace, and I agree with her. Nevertheless, we don’t know

Book “ The Missionary Position: Mother Theresa, in Theory and Practice” Hitchens, 1995 Quoted by the writer Jesus Silva Herzog Márquez in the Newspaper REFORMA, November 22, 2003 152

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if she asked herself this question: Could it be that what pushes many desperate mothers to pass through this false door is the tenacious opposition to methods of family planning, which would have helped these women not commit these criminal acts, and would have also helped, together with other means, to avoid lamentable situations of extreme poverty and infant mortality? Nevertheless, despite the diverse opinions like that of Hitchens, everything seems to indicate that considering her good intentions, her life constituted an extraordinary example, for her total surrender to her Christian convictions. But considering that the knowledge of someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s internal can only be reached by God, the personal circumstances that surround each person, and above all, the faculty of judgment153 has never been given to anyone in this world. Could some set themselves up as supreme judge and express an opinion on the holiness or lack thereof in even one person? Perhaps the wisest position would be to recognize in this admirable woman the following of Christian principles that she showed, but to go any further would be foolishness. We often forget something elemental. A truly holy person does not look for approval or credit from men, but rather serves God and mankind through his actions. Why would it be important to someone who really wanted to live in holiness if his peers gave or denied their approval?

In many parts of the Bible we see that we should not judge our neighbor. One instance is found in James 4:12 â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?â&#x20AC;? 153

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Could we possibly influence God’s divine decision on this judgment by holding secret meetings and making our own decisions on the issue? If we continue to advance in fields not authorized by God, we could fall into great perversions. Walking in prohibited paths could lead us to many errors. As proof of that, look at what Sister Nirmala, Mother Superior of the Missionaries of Charity,154 had to say shortly after the death of Mother Theresa: “For Calcutta, she was a saint in life. I will say more, she is now like God,155 in that she is with Him and all of us want to someday be there.” This is precisely the risk we face when we introduce ourselves to unknown territories. We can position apparently holy people, in agreement with our limited human judgment, at a level that only belongs to God, as we can appreciate from the words of the present Mother Superior, who in a natural way, publicly declared that Mother Theresa “is now like God.” If we carefully study the Bible, we will see that nowhere does it give a human being the right to “sanctify” another, and much less name someone as a type of intercessor or mediator, or worse yet, compare them to our God. This idea of humans sanctifying other humans is probably a vulgar trap of another origin, as we mentioned in the previous chapter. The enemy of God and mankind is Order founded by Mother Theresa. Declarations published the Mexican newspaper REFORMA, in an article by their correspondent in Italy, Esteban Israel. REFORMA P. 34 “A” October 19, 2003. 154

155

Underlined by the author.

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extremely interested in placing objects or persons between you and our Lord. He knows that he will only reach his goal through certain relevant cases. He could even use signs and miracles. Have you seen or read of cases of apparent holiness? Let us learn from them when they adhere to true Christian doctrine, but let us not make a mistake that will only lead us down wide and paved streets that take us to places we do not want to go. Furthermore, for our particular human limitations, if we could know each person as only God can, perhaps we would be greatly surprised. In the case of Marcial Maciel, by a mere chance event was his irregular behavior exposed. Imagine what would have happened if these acts were not revealed. We would have conserved in our mind the moving image that was distributed. How many similar cases have occurred? As we mentioned before, is there one human being with the possibility of knowing another entirely? Let us remember that when Jesus was on the earth, He made judgments that many never expected because of His unique and exceptional capacity to know us. For example, there were people who enjoyed great prestige and public recognition, and were considered possessors of a high level of human perfection: The Pharisees. When he unmasked them publicly, and compared them to â&#x20AC;&#x153;white-washed tombsâ&#x20AC;?,156 not only was it a surprise to the majority, he also immediately won their enmity and profound animosity.

156

Matthew 24:27

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In other occasions, the opposite occurred, as when a poor widow gave some miniscule coins as an offering. Jesus perfectly knew her thoughts and situation at that moment, and he told us that woman gave more than the rest without seeing any external manifestation.157 Human vision cannot even remotely get close to the profundity and capacity of the judgment of Divine vision. If others get involved in sanctification processes, we should not participate with them in this dangerous game.

POWER OF JUDGMENT At one time I was working with a food manufacturing business. I remember that there was a specialized section next to the production department that dealt with quality control, which classified the levels of excellence for each finished product. They used highly sophisticated apparatuses for evaluation, and they could immediately detect residues of pesticide, toxic elements or any other variation from the established standards. Nevertheless, the Production Chief, thinking himself highly gifted with special vision, began to classify, based on the external appearance, the quality of each lot, separating and labeling the finished product before it passed to the department designed specifically for that purpose. As I am sure you imagine, it was not long before he received a severe reprimand from those in charge. How dare he classify the product without even knowing and

157

Mark 12:41 and Luke 21:1

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using the tools needed? Why did he invade this area without due authorization? After this serious reprimand, they obligated him to concentrate on improving the quality of production, as the percentage of finished product that was found to have the best conditions had gone down from what was expected. If a human being gets involved in the area of “judgment”, isn’t he introducing himself in area reserved only for God? Wouldn’t it be better to concentrate on doing our work well on the earth, motivating the faithful to adhere to what the Lord desires and established through his message? There is no doubt in my mind that it would be much better to exhort believers to adhere to the Word of God, in place of absurdly occupying the role of judges. That would be a work much more consistent with a pastoral attitude.

THE SANCTIFICATION PROCESS I want to mention an additional problem. It is an important change in the Catholic sanctification process, which has produced even more negative results. When John Paul II became Pope,158 he ordered an end to the dilated and often bitter deliberations in the commission in charge of sanctifications. After this edict, on January 25, 1983, they officially changed the system. That day, Pope John Paul II issued a The Fabrication of the Saints” by Kenneth L. Woodward, Editorial Editions B. 158

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new Apostolic Constitution entitled “Divinus Perfectionis Magister”, in which he ordered the most radical reform of the creation of saints since the times of Urban VIII. The proposed objective of these changes was to make the sanctification process easy, quick and cheap, but at the same time it offered more “results.” The most dramatic consequence of this new reform was that it abolished in an instant the series of disputes between the advocates,159 procedures originally designed to unmask the processes with bad foundations from a theological and historical point of view. As we mentioned before, the objective was to challenge those who defended the sanctification by those who opposed it, to bring to the table a more complete panorama of the “candidate for the altars,” a method that could unmask fraudulent or inexistent claims. We do not mean to say that before this change this system was doctrinally correct, but now it is even worse. The consequences of such a modification are easy to see. The Catholic Church has generated an exorbitant amount of saints, and it won’t be surprising if after time, many will be objected to.

ORIGINS OF THE CUSTOM The Catholic Church’s custom of “canonizing” one person has been so well established throughout the centu-

Among them the important role of the aforementioned “Devil’s Advocate”, who was in charge of finding negative arguments with valid foundations that would serve to detain a cause. 159

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ries, to many it is unthinkable to question the origin of this practice. In reality, this tradition did not come from Christianity. It was a derivation or syncretism from paganism, where on occasions and for diverse causes, they “deified” certain personalities from public life.160 If anyone wants to check the Biblical support of such a custom, it would take just a superficial reading of the Holy Scriptures to note that the idea of such a qualifying ability for any human being is absolutely inexistent. It is clearly evident in His Word that the only true source of holiness comes from God. If we just focus on appearances, something that we should not do, a person who truly finds himself closer to God, before anything will recognize that his transformation was not by what he did, but by the goodness and mercy of the Lord. They will not try to be protagonists or look for recognition, but instead they will serve the Lord in a humble and simple way.161 This person will exhort people to follow the Lord and not him or her. He will motivate his companions to read and

“Lives of the Twelve Caesars” by Suetonio. Editorial Grolier Jackson. In the section of Julius Caesar it says in paragraph LXXXVIII: “He died at 56 years, and they placed him among the gods, not only by decree, but also by the masses who were persuaded that he was a god. During the games that they had promised to celebrate and at which Augustus was made his heir, a star with a tail appeared, after the 11th hour, and shined for 7 consecutive days. It was believed to be the soul of Caesar being received into heaven.” 160

It is highly probable that there have existed an enormous amount of persons really sanctified for God, but in their modesty and humility that should characterize a person in that state, they have not been noticed, in that they were seeking divine approval instead of man’s, they proceeded as Jesus told us to, and in a desire to be greater for God, they became smaller in our eyes. 161

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know first hand the profound message of love and life of Jesus Christ contained in the gospels. This person will not pray in an ostentatious way, trying to be identified among the rest as a man or woman who is “good” or “holy.”162 But I insist, and forgive me for repeating myself, even with these external manifestations, the ability to qualify or issue judgments on supposed holiness or lack thereof has not been given to any person. Nevertheless, if we can possess a different vision, derived from the teachings of the Lord by His word, the most relevant, in this sense, would be that we need no human models to follow. We would also discover for ourselves that we do not need an intercessor or a mediator. In a natural way we will note that the maximum example is Jesus Christ and any other type of intermediaries are not pleasing to God. Polished bronze will often pass to many as better gold than real gold in its raw form. Chesterfield

A person close to God will motivate the reading of the Gospels, instead of some type of personal manual or guide or any other type of text. 162

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EPILOGUE He who throws away religion Takes away the foundations of Human society Plato The religion that seem to have as Its only objective happiness in the other life, Also makes us more blessed in this one. Montesquieu

To possess a true meaning of life is crucial for any human being with full use of his faculties. The immense majority obtain this reason for our existence through religion or personal belief. I am sure you have questioned many times about this “why” of your life, but don’t believe you are the only one. This search has been important throughout history for every person. I would like to wipe clean the dust that has accumulated throughout the centuries on the thoughts a great personality had on this issue. That man is King Solomon. Let us put his take on the meaning of life on the table to analyze it carefully. The personal way of thinking of this wise king is perfectly expressed in one of the books of the Bible, Ecclesiastes.163 This is more than a dialogue to others, it is a chronicle of the writer’s search for the meaning of life, and the conclusions he draws from his search. The word Ecclesiastes means “the speaker” or “the preacher”, and this book in particular seems to be a type of monologue, where someone is talking to himself. 163

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In this book, he tells us how he went about knocking on different “doors” or justifications for his existence, without finding a valid element in any of them. He first takes us in a search for wisdom. He opens this door and at the end, he finds that nothing is worth it, expressing himself in this poetic way: The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again. Further on, his wisdom helps the king realize the puniness of human thinking and the marvel of the universe, and he expresses: “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.” In some way he is anticipating our “discoveries” that we as humans feel we have made, and that often fill us with pride, such as flight, nuclear energy, jet propulsion, electricity, etc. They are nothing but a miniscule part of a larger series of phenomena that existed way before the appearance of man on the earth. Before he speaks more on this issue, he concludes this point a little disappointed: “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.” He also sensed that the more knowledge someone had about what was around him, the more he would worry and fret: “For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.” Then he searched for meaning in enjoyment: “I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, there114

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fore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?” Later he tries with riches: “I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees: I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me: I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces.” Don’t believe that he was a leader like so many who have existed. He was a special king, and many would even say he was “fortunate”: “So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem:164 also my wisdom remained with me.” Paradoxically, that same wisdom with which he was blessed impeded him from fooling himself with the illusions with which we humans are often dazzled. After a series of considerations related to money, he concluded again: “behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit.” That is how he continues through the rest of the book, as he shares how he searched through work, love and other things, but in all of these he assures us they were nothing but vain illusions.165 If Solomon had stopped at this point, his thoughts could have easily been compared to the thinking of the “existentialists”, who reason that life does not have a valid or substantial meaning.

164

Underlined by the author.

165

In some translations “Vain illusions” is translated “Vanity of Vanities”.

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If he had stopped at this conclusion, he would not show himself to be the wise man we all think he was. But he did not stop there, as in the final of that same book, in a corollary way, he issues his final advice to every person: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” As Solomon realized in his final analysis, we too will come to a similar conclusion, those who are conscious of our transient nature on this earth: The true meaning of life comes from God. Author Victor Frankl,166 from a purely human perspective shared by other authors as well, had this to say: “He who finds his why, will then find his how.” This “why” that we find above not only will give us meaning for our life, but also will make each one of us conform our individual “how”. For this reason, to possess a determined personal conviction will generate a subsequent standard of action, which will without a doubt produce a series of effects in our personal, family and social lives. Nevertheless, it is not sufficient for Christians to be convinced that Jesus Christ gave us the most important message the world has received. We must apply it to our daily lives. The problems begin when basic doctrine is twisted and distorted, when following a series of unfor-

Viktor E. Frankl. He was a professor of Neurology and Psychiatry at the University of Vienna, and Professor of Logo therapy in the International University of San Diego (California). He is considered the founder of logo therapy. He has 26 published works which have been translated into 18 languages. 166

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tunate interpretations, in practice a different message from the original is projected. It is true that many making a superficial judgment did not estimate that the consequences of such changes would have such great importance, but they were wrong. The truth is that the consequences have been unfavorable in many and diverse ways. The first and most important negative aspect of the modifications of the Christian message is that it constitutes an offense to our Creator. Put to one side for a moment the individual and collective consequences. Believe me it is not a small thing to ignore, change or minimize what He has said. In our individual lives, what God has said from above is completely and absolutely what is best for us, and if we follow what he says it will lead us to a full life of harmony with ourselves and those around us. If you or I purchase an electric appliance, one of the first things we do is read the instructions, to avoid future problems. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to be a party pooper, but we human being also have a type of instruction manual from above, inspired by He who created us. In it we will find instructions to live a life that will promote our spiritual, personal and cultural growth. What valid purpose would there be in not reading His word and in letting others interpret it for us or present us previously selected paragraphs? The Gospels were made to be perfectly accessible for every person. In our social lives, we find the only message capable of breaking the hard heart of this conflictive world is the Christian gospel. That is if it is applied in a totally and 117

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absolutely pure way, just as it was expressed to mankind, through the Gospels. Victor Fankl167 described in one of his books this anecdote. One day in the concentration camp in Poland, near the end of the war they were walking back to their barracks with difficulty. They had a rough day of work and had not eaten sufficiently. With the little strength they had left, they had the good fortune to contemplate a sunset. One of his companions exclaimed something that was forever recorded in the author’s mind: “How beautiful the world would be if we were different.” It is surprising how despite all of the suffering that was around them, that he would have the energy to express this thought, a powerful thought indeed: the world could effectively be another, if we were different. But the problem is this: Our nearsightedness has impeded our vision. We cannot see that each human being is totally and absolutely interrelated with the rest of humanity as if he or she was a miniscule cell of an organism. For that reason it is important to be conscious of each act that we realize, as small as it may seem, will generate a determined reaction that sooner or later will return to us in very distinct forms. The most worrying thing is that the immense majority do not understand this phenomenon. It is so important the faithful following of the word of God. The fact that what He manifested in the Bible has He was also a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps created by the Germans during World War II. Victor Frankl. Anecdote quoted in his book “Man in Search of Meaning” Editorial Erder. 167

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been erroneously modified over the centuries has eventually led to consequences for everyone. You would be surprised at the tremendous social impact reflected in every community. Look at this example with this same sociological context: One of the most common errors, not only now, but even past times, has been that there is a type of divorce or incompatibility between the well being of the individual and the well being of the collective group. There are those who have gone even further168 and have tried, with relative success, to give form to this problem, assuring us that there exist “two classes of social interest”, rational interests and irrational interests. According to this point of view, the rational interests are those that run in parallel, where the interest of the one is the same as the other, like there can be between a father and son, or between husband and wife, etc. In contrast, the irrational interests (or opposition) are those that, according to this point of view, are conflicting, where the benefit of one will supposedly hurt the other, as can be the case between a boss and his employer, where one wants more work for less pay and the other wants less work and more pay. Nevertheless, a deeper analysis of this crucial social relationship show us that all human interests on earth run parallel,169 all human interests on the earth are rational Opinions of authors such as William F. Ogburn, Eldridge and Associates, Erich Fromm, Lauretta Bender and H.S. Sullivan, quoted in the book “Sociology” by Luis Recasens Siches, Editorial Porrua. 168

A fact that can be demonstrated easily, sadly the space of this book does not permit it. I expect to talk more about it in a future work. 169

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interests. There is not one individual action, as small as it may be, that does not project to the whole community, to later return in a greater measure to the perpetuator of the initial act. The great drama is that human nearsightedness and superficiality does not let the immense majority see this interesting social relationship in this way. The reason most cannot see, is that the â&#x20AC;&#x153;returnâ&#x20AC;? action does not come immediately; rather it occurs after a short or long period of time. But I assure you that every act will return to its origin, after it has influenced its environment. From this particular vision, we derive the immense majority of the calamities that we see. Nevertheless, even though the inhabitants of this earth cannot see this relation, He who made the universe and knows it perfectly well, and for that reason he left His instruction manual, His word, so that we would live in harmony. Let us analyze this idea from another angle, within this social context. The absurd divisions and conflicts that for any imaginable excuse maintain some people in conflict, could that be the plan of God for us? No, it is not. The objective to be reached by all in this sense is illustrated in the following Bible portion:170 â&#x20AC;&#x153;The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: 170

Isaiah 11:6-9

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and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatriceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.â&#x20AC;? It is not so difficult to understand that the future of this world is in the peace, unity and cooperation universal, as parts of a whole, just as God made us, interacting as the true humans that we are. Nevertheless, how can we join together what never should have been fragmented in the first place? Is it possible to integrate again what nearsightedness and superficiality have separated? In all of this social process, religion and personal beliefs constitute the most powerful factor that can motivate individual conduct and consequently influence the collective group. I ask you to not think that the goal of true union and universal cooperation as something that is impossible. We are not talking about joining different parts in a curious mix. We are dealing with simply joining what never should have been separated, to integrate what nearsightedness and awkwardness separated. But believe me, this objective can and should in its moment be reached, and that would constitute the beginning of true progress and human development, in favor of all our brothers in the world. Nevertheless, to accomplish this purpose, and others, it is not necessary to neither discover the obvious nor fab121

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ricate new philosophies or norms for life. We must simply follow the indications that our Creator designed for us, and he formed in us through his Word. The awkwardness and selfishness of man is so blinding and limiting. Only the force and power of the love of God is capable of breaking the shield and transforming the world. In this process, the Christian can and should convert into the true leaven that leavens the whole lump. For this reason, I respectfully invite the leaders of the Catholic Church and of all those congregations of believers in Jesus Christ who do not actually practice what the word says, to motivate your faithful much more toward Bible reading, so that, among other things, the true Christian message can be the beginning of a process that will transform the individual and society as a whole. We cannot continue kidnapping this beautiful and transcendental message in the convenient chains of merely human institutions. If you are Catholic171 I beg of you that you would not feel offended by what has been expressed in this book. The doctrinal deviations I mentioned here were definitely not your fault, nor of the current leadership of the church, but rather grew through the high leadership of this institution throughout the centuries. I have had the pleasure of knowing many priests and nuns who had surrendered all in good faith. I trust that

This book has focused on the errors of the Catholic Church, even though unfortunately there exist many other so called Christian congregations that have other problems, but all with the same common denominator: They have gone away from the original doctrine for lack of adherence to the word of God, found in the Gospels. 171

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our good Father in heaven will take into account the good intention that exists in each and every one of them, in that the irregularities that exist in this church now are not attributable to them. But I definitely assure you that the way marked by God is not that way. It is not my purpose at all to sow any type of division within Christian groups. On the contrary, my desire for all that profess faith in Jesus Christ, is that we would walk united in step with the marvelous message of love, peace and understanding, without any type of erroneous interpretations. For those that have already dug deep into the words of Jesus Christ, and are in agreement with what has been expressed here, I beg of you that we would have an understanding attitude toward all of our Christian brothers that are weak in the faith172 or who are behind in their walk or understanding of the word of God, independent of the “name” of the organization they belong to. True charity is one of the pillars of our belief. I hope dear brothers and sisters in the Faith in Jesus Christ that this book has been understood for what it was meant to be, a wake up call to motivate us to walk as the Lord desires. I ask your forgiveness for not remaining silent before what I consider serious alterations to the Christian message, but my conscience would not permit such a silence before such a spiritual void that exists in many of our brothers, as a consequence of the modifications made to the original doctrine. Another of the traps in which we can easily fall, is to convert into intolerant fanatics one with the other. One of the basic principles of true Christianity is love and mutual tolerance. John 13:35 “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” 172

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The word of God, explained in such an incredibly clear and simple way in the Gospels, needs no additions or interpretation, we only lack knowledge, application and sharing of it in our lives. I am firmly convinced that this message not only came from God, but also that it is the only thing capable of transforming the world. I will not serve again A lord that could die. Friar Francisco de Borgia The most you can lose, Or what you find you love the most, What gives you the most pleasure, In what you have and possess, Should be called your God. Friar Inigo de Mendoza

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APPENDIX “A” CELIBACY AS A LIFE EXPERIENCE A priest with 39 years of experience, writes to the pope about celibacy.173 “Dear Holy Father, Before I die, I wanted to tell you something that has bothered me for the 39 years of my priesthood. During this time I have been the presbyter of a parish, except for a few years during which I was a chaplain in the Air Force. I like being the father of a parish, serving God and his people through my work. Nevertheless, the rule of celibacy angers me more and more as the years pass. Now I am 64 years old and before I die I want to tell you what I think. God said “It is not good for man to be alone.” I believe that the parish should permit priests to marry if they want to. I am a good priest, but I would have been better if I had had a wife. As I grow older, I see more and more the need for a companion. I would love her body as well, because that is why God created men and women as they are. I do not think it was an error on God’s part, nor does it degrade the spirit of the person. I do not believe that a man can say to others that they must not enter into a state of matrimony. It is my opinion, and I am not a great theologian, that the authority of the Church

Letter written to the Pope. It was written in 1995 by a priest who, for understandable reasons, preferred to remain anonymous. Now he is retired and feels free to express his ideas. The letter was originally published in the “National Catholic Reporter” and is also available to the public on the internet: www.sjsocial.org/crt/celibe.html 173

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in spiritual issues cannot include this prohibition. This rule severely damages the Church today. You did not start this tradition, but you alone are responsible for the situation continuing now. I will always respect those who decide to be celibates, but as Saint Paul said, “it is not for everybody.” I do not consider myself a celibate because I never chose this life freely. I have heard retreat directors say the man first chooses celibacy and then the priesthood. This is not true. The majority decides to enter the life of a priest, and then someone tells them if one wants to do the work of God, they have to be celibate, and in that way they begin to suffer this imposition in their life. The exceptions are the great men, who like Paul, decided to be celibate as a vow to God. I can not find one word in the Holy Scriptures that justifies obligated celibacy, and at the same time there exists many reasons to justify marriage. The priests and bishops of the first 1000 years of the church married, and then some Pope invented this rule, which I believe is unfair. When I served as a chaplain in the Air Force, I normally lived on base. When I returned to my home at night, I saw all of the other houses and said “All the world has someone, except me.” I returned to an empty house to prepare my dinner, wash my clothes and other chores. I have a beautiful place where I live now, but at night, after finishing my work, I see it empty and I feel bad. I will continue being a priest dedicated to his parish while God permits me to do this work. And I will continue trying to live this pseudo-celibacy. But the truth is that I believe someone has to stand before God as the man responsible for the unnecessary torture we priests must suffer. Priests are no longer allowed to retire officially from their work. Holy Father, because you know that many would retire if there were that possibility. It is not that they want to leave the priesthood, but rather they do not want to continue in celibacy. 126

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I remember an old priest, an excellent father, a friend of mine. He was 60 years old and had heart problems. He told me “I can not take this anymore.” He left the priesthood, and finally married, with the consent of the Church. I love you and I believe you are the most renowned Pope in recent history. You have done so many good works. If you could change this rule, I think the people would accept it because Catholics around the world respect and love you so much. If you wait until some future Pope changes the rule, and it must be changed some time, the change will not be so easily accepted. If I were the Pope, which is not probable, I would simply announce the termination of the rule of celibacy. I know there would be scandals, as when priests leave their offices to get married, as when priests cannot faithfully live their vows. I only want to make one more comment. I do not know what I would do if you permitted married men to be ordained, but did not permit those who are now ordained to choose marriage. We are many who have suffered all of our professional careers with the burden of this rule, and we would feel betrayed and despised if this would occur. I have never spoken about this issue to another priest. Only you know how I feel, even though I have sent a copy of this letter to my archbishop. I hope you do not take this letter as a personal attack, because I have much respect for you, but I would not be honest if I did not manifest my way of thinking and the emotions that I am sure many of my colleagues share. I do not understand how this pseudo-celibacy is going to “purify the priesthood.”

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I could not die happy if I had not written this letter. I feel a moral obligation to do so. Celibacy as a Life Experience. August 1995 CHRISTUS 1â&#x20AC;?

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APÉNDICE “B”

TASBIH DE FÁTIMA AZ-ZAHRA (P) (FRACCIÓN)

The Imam Ali (P.) once asked Ibn A’bad, a member of the Bani Sa’d tribe: Do you want me to tell you about my life with Fatima? She was the most loved by the Prophet. When she lived in my house she worked hard, so hard that one day I gave her this advice ‘It would be good for you to visit your father, perhaps he can do something for you!’ Soon Fatima visited her father. During this opportunity the Prophet (B.P.) was busy with those who were interested in Islam. For this reason Fatima was embarrassed and returned home. The following morning the Prophet (B.P.) visited his daughter and asked her: ‘Why did you visit me yesterday, my daughter?’ Fatima did not respond. A second time the Prophet repeated his question. Fatima did not dare respond. Then I spoke and said: ‘O, God sent one! Fatima works too hard, and I advised her to visit you to see if you would help her.’ When he heard my words, Muhammad (BP) told us: ‘Do you want me to teach you something that will benefit you much more than the work of a servant?’ And he taught us the ‘Tasbih’, of Fatima Zahra. This practice consists of repeating 34 times ‘Ajahu Akbar’ – God is the greatest- 33 times ‘Subhanal Lah’ – Glory to God – and 33 time ‘Alhamdulil Lah’ – Praise be to God. It is preferable to say the Tasbih after each of your daily prayers. When you concentrate on this the recompense will be a multiplied one prayer to a thousand. The Imam Sadiq (P) said: He who recites the Tasbih after the prayer before the change of position (seated before the Qiblah) will be forgiven their sins and God will take them to paradise.’ In another saying we see that The Tasbih of Fatima Az-Zahra (P) has more merit than a 1000 cycles of daily prayers. Merits of the prostration of thanksgiving: After praying the prayers it is worthy of merit the prostration of thanksgiving. The 129

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group of wise followers of the DeAhlul Bait (P) school advice that you prostrate when you receive some grace from God, or the moment you walk away unhurt from some calamity. ÂŤ Note: The abbreviation (P.) after a name expresses the desire Peace. And B.P. mean Blessing and Peace.

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APPENDIX “C” ONE SAINT: TWO VISIONS With respect to Saint Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria, we present two versions, one from the interior of the Catholic Church and the other from outside, we make a comparison. The Catholic Version174 says the following: “This saint became famous in ancient times because he defended before all enemies that Mary is the Mother of God. During 32 years, he was the archbishop of Alexandria, which was the most important Egyptian city at that time. He dedicated all of his strength to advance Christianity. He was strong and unmoving with the heretics and sectarians who tried to deceive the Christians of Alexandria and he closed their temples and houses where they were practicing. To the Jews he challenged them, telling them to stop attacking the Catholic religion, or leave the city. And when Nestorianismo, the worst heresy of that time, appeared, it was he who opposed and attacked it most strongly. And it then happened that Nestorio, patriarch of Constantinople, began to say the Maria was not the Mother of God, but simply the mother of a man. The people were enormously scandalized to hear preached such a barbarity. Saint Cyril wrote him saying that Mary was the Mother of God, not because she created God (because no one created God), but

174

Source: www.churchforum.com/santoral/junio/2706.htm

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rather because she is the mother of one who is God. And he asked him to please take back these heretical affirmations that he had made. But Nestorio responded with insults and continued teaching his errors and heresies. Then Cyril wrote to Pope Celestina, in Rome, informing him of this error that Nestorio was propagating. The pope united the principle wise Catholics in Rome, and aided by them condemned the error of Nestorio, and threatened him with excommunication if he did not retract his heretical affirmations. But the heretic did not want to retract and continued propagating his errors. Then in 431, 200 Christian Bishops met in Ephesus. Saint Cyril was elected president of the council, as the most venerable among them, and as a representative of Pope Celestino. Cyril, with his passionate eloquence and great wisdom convinced the bishops to condemn the heresy of Nestorio and proclaim only that Mary is the Mother of God. The enemies of the great archbishop convinced the government to jail Cyril for three months, but when the popeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s delegates arrive from Rome, they interceded for him and obtained his freedom. He then could continue opposing with all his authority the teaching of the heretic. The saint wrote the following to the nuns of Egypt, at the end of the Ephesus council: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;You cannot imagine the joy of these passionate people when they knew that the council had declared that Mary is the Mother of God and that those who do not accept this truth remained out of the church. The entire population remained from dawn till night time near the Church of the Mother of God where we, the 200 bishops from around the world, were reunited. And when they knew of the declaration of the council, they began to yell and sing, and with lighted torches they accompanied us to 132

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our houses and on the road they burnt incense. We praised with our hymns Mary, the Mother of God and her Son Jesus Christ to whom belongs all the honor and glory forever.” When the council in Ephesus declared that Mary is the Mother of God, Saint Cyril of Alexandria joyfully exclaimed before all: “We salute, Oh Mary, Mother of God, true treasure of all the Universe, a torch that will never go out, temple that will never be destroyed, place of refuge for all the forsaken, for whom the Blessed one came to this world. By you the Trinity has received more glory on the earth, by you the cross has saved us, by you the heavens shake with joy and demons flee; the enemy of our soul is thrown into the abyss and we weak creatures are elevated to a place of honor.” “And the Mother of God is also My Mother” Now we will see another version175 from outside the Catholic Church, where we also see the participation of the same Cyril of Alexandria. «The Alexandria Library was famous for being the best archive of antiquity with over 700,000 volumes, all of which were in hand-written papyrus rolls and contained practically all known ancient knowledge. Among the scholars was Eratosthenes (284-192 BC) and Euclid (3rd Century BC) whose texts on geometry are still studied today. Also Archimedes (287-212 BC), the greatest ancient mechanical genius, Galeno (with classic works on human anatomy) and Ptolemy used the library to study the cosmos, physics, philosophy and biology, in 10 large rooms for investigation decorated in with marble, fountains, ponds, frescos of gods and kings. The library included a zoo, laboratories for dissection, an observatory and a dining hall where the scholars and their disciples participated in long discussions. Source www.lcc.uma.es/~ppg/html/cgentes.html “Curiosities of Science and Life” Memorable People and Events. 175

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To bring together this immense archive the Ptolemies dedicated themselves to acquiring all of the Greek books and the majority of works from Persia, Africa, Israel and other parts of the world. Also, the sent to register all of the large ships that arrived at the port in search of more scrolls, which were copied then returned to their owners. They also sent emissaries to far off land in search of writings from any culture. When Caesar entered triumphantly in 48 AC, the famous library of Alexandria was burned, destroying a great part of the works collected. After various fires and lootings, the library was virtually destroyed since 391 and what remained was totally destroyed after the assassination of Hypatia (370-415) a beautiful woman who was the last scientist to work in the library. Hypatia was born in Alexandria and was a mathematician, physicist, astronomer and head of the Neo-Platonic school. Her free spirit led her to reject many marriage proposals. In the time of Hypatia, Alexandria was in the midst of great tensions, and Cyril, archbishop of Alexandria detested Hypatia for her friendship with the Roman governor and because she symbolized free thinking. Finally, a horde of Christians, followers of Cyril, skinned her alive, ripping the flesh off her bones with seashells and then burning her and her works. Cyril was proclaimed a saint. The library died but not all of the knowledge that it once housed. Carl Sagan, famous astronomer and author of the book Cosmos once said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are still constructing on the foundation that was established by the scholars of that library.â&#x20AC;? For example, Erastothenes calculated with precision the size of the earth and affirmed that a voyage could be made to 134

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India traveling to the west. Aristarcus affirmed that the earth was only one planet of various planets that circled the sun. Among the works that disappeared from the library is the universal history of the Babylonian priest Berose, which narrated, in one of its volumes, the events from the creation till the flood. Of the more than 120 works by Sophocles that were in the Library, only 7 survived (among them Oedipus the King). Similar statistics apply to the works of Aeschylus and Euriphides. After seeing these two visions that revolve around the same person proclaimed Saint of the Catholic Church, Cyril Archbishop of Alexandria, we can reflect on the following: What reasons could they have supposed that God saw with the same lens as the Catholic hierarchy of the first version? Can any human being be in the position to possibly judge another? Did at some time God give this prerogative, converting a human being

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If rectifyin trivial errors Took them so many centuries, They will wait many years To correct the serious ones. But look, dear brother, You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to worry, For whoever says heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good Christian, This must be his behaviour: Try not to judge Nor to blame. Give your hand to your brother Only to show him the way. Your world will be another place If you adopt for your life The most powerful truth Delivered to his world. The night will be forgotten And each tear washed away, if the light of the truth Is left kidnapped no more. Giovanni Torricelli