Los Angeles herald., 1892-08-01
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS.
CELEBRATION OF HIS AsHIEvE-
MENTs BEGUN.
A BriiIiant Fete at Cadfz, spain-The
Pope Writes q Letter on the
Importance of Proper
Celebration.

CADrz, Spain, July 3l.-The Christie
pher Columbus celebration formally
began today by the departure hence for
Huelva of the Columbus caravel, Santa
Maria, escorted by British, American
and French war vessels and a fotilla of
small steamers. A brilliant company
gathered at fete given by the minister
Of marine in honor of the event. a bull
fight was also held.
ROME, July 31.-The pope has ad-
dressed lengthy letter to the arch
bishops and bishops Of Spain, Italy and
the two Americas On the subject of
Christopher Columbus and his discov-
cries, etc. He appoints October 18th,
this year, or the following Sunday, II it
be opportune, after the Offices OF the
day, for solemn mass OF the holy
trinity to be celebrated worthily and in
q manner suitable to the truth Of the
facts Of the solemn anniversary. In
his letter, the pope says: "When one
considers with what q motive above all,
Columbus undertook the plan OF explor-
ing the dark sea, and with what object
he endeavored to realize this plan, one
cannot doubt that the Catholic faith
superlatively inspired the enterprise
and its execution, so that by this also
humanity is not little indebted to the
church. An eminently distinct point
about Columbus is that in crossing the
immense expanse OF ocean, he followed
an object more grand and elevated than
others. This does not cay that he was
not influenced by other desires, but in
reality his plans. his resolutions, pro-
foundly carried in his heart, were to open
access for the gospel in new lands and
new seas.
The pope cites the fact that Colum-
bus pleading with Ferdinand and Isa-
bella, explained that their glory
would increase to the point of becoming
immortal If they decided to carry the
name and doctrine of Jesus Christ into
such distant regions, and when, not
long after, his prayers were granted, be
called to witness what he wished to
obtain from God, that these sovereigns,
sustained by His help and His mercy,
should pereevere In causing the gospel
to penetrate upon new shores aud in
new lands.
The pope also quotes from Columbus
letter to Raphael Sanchez, after his fe-
turn, that Jesus Christ ould re joice in
the triumph upon earth and in beaven,
for the coming salvation to innumerable
people who, previously, had been going
to their ruin.
Ii Columbus also asked of Ferdinand
and Isabella to permit only Catholic
Christians to go to the new world, there
to accelerate trade with the natives. he
supports this motive by the fact that by
his enterprise and efforts he had not
sought for anything else than the glory
and development of the Christian re-
ligion. The pope says that the enter
priee so carried out, is admirably il
lustrated by the events of the time, in
the fact that Columbus discovered
America about the period wheE great
tempest was going to unchain itself
against the church. Inasmuch as it is
permitted by the course of events to ap-
preciate the ways of divine providence,
it seems that this man was destined bv
the special plan Of God to compensate
Catholicism for the injury it was going
to suffer in Europe, to call the Indian
race to Christianity. This was. without
doubt, the mission and work of the
church. She continued to fulfil this
work with an uninterrupted course of
charity, and still continues 1t, having
advanced herself recently SO far as the
extremities of Patagonia.
In conclusion, the pope says; "The
magnitude of the event; the efficacy
and variety of the benefits which have
resulted from 1t, trend assuredly to cele-
brate the memory of him who was the
author OF II, by grateful remembrance
and by all sorts OF testimonials OF honor !;
but in the first place we must recognize
ana venerate particularly the divine
project to which the ditcoverer Of the
new world was subaervient, and which
he knowingly obeyed."