St. Paul daily globe., 1892-08-01

of eminent minds 10 prefer to elevate
themselves higher. for they are better
disposed than all others to seize the I'M
pulses and the inspira tions of the divine
faith. Certainly Columbus had united
the study Of nature to the study of re-
llglon, aud he had cOnformed his mind
to the precepts intimately drawn from
the Catholic faith. 1t is thus that, hay
ing learned by astronomy and ancient
documents that beyond the limits of the
known world there were in addition,
towards the west, large tracts of
Territory UnexplOred
up to that time by ANYBODY, he consid-
cred in his mind the immense multi
tude of those who were plunged in
lamentable darkness, subject to insen-
safe rights and to the superstitions of
senselesS divinitles. He considered
that they miserably led a savage life
with ferocious customs: that, more mis-
erably still. they were wanting it all
notion of the most important things and
that they were plunged in ignorance of
the only true God. Thus, in consider
ing this in himself, he aimed first of all
to propagate the name of Christian,
and the benefits of Christian charity
in the West. AS a fact, as
soon as he presented himself to
liiS oOfCiClSlS vi ODQtlt,
Isabella, he explained the cause for
which they were not to fear taking a
warm interest in the enterprise, as
their glory would increase to the point
of becoming immortal if they decided
to carry the name of Jesus Christ into
such distant regions And when not
long afterward his prayers were
granted, he called to witness that he
wished to obtain from God that these
sovereigns, sustained by his help and
his mercy, should persevere in causing
the gospel to penetrate upon new
shores and in new lands. He conceived
in the same manner the plan of asking
Alexander vi for apostolic men by a
letter in which these words are found:
Il hope that it will some day be given
to me, with
The Help of God,
to propagate afar the very holy name of
Jesus Christ and His gospel Also can
one imagine him all filled with JOY
when he wrote to Raphael Sanchez, the
first who from the Indies had returned
to Lisbon, that Immortal actions of
grace must be rendered to God in that
He had deigned to cause to prosper the
enterprise SO we'll; and that Jesus
Christ could rejoice and triumph upon
earth and i'll heaven for the coming sal
vation of innumerable people who pre-
viouSly had been going to their ruin
Columbus also asks of Ferdinand aud
Isabella to permit only Catholic Chris
tians TO go to the new world, there to
accelerate trade with the natives. and
supports this motive by the fact that
by his enterprise and efforts he has not
sought for anything else than
the glory and the development of
the Christian religion This was
what was perfectly known to
Isabella, who. better than any other
person, had penetrated the mind of
such great man; much more, it ap-
pears, that this same plan was fully
adopted by this woman of great heart
effect, of Columbus, that in courage
ously giving himself up to the vast
ocean. he realized Tor the divine glory
most signal enterprise, and to Colum-
bus himself, when he had happily re-
turned, she wrote that she esteemed as
having been highly employed the re-
sources which she had consecrated and
which she would still consecrate to the
expedition In the Indies In view of the
fact that the propagation Of Catholicism
would result from them. Also if he
had not inspired himself from cause
superior 10 human interests, where
then would he have drawn the con-
stancy and the strength of soul to sup
port what he was obliged to the end to
endure and to submit to, that is to say,
the
UnpropftiOus Advice
princes, the tempests of the furious
ocean. the continual watches during
which he more than once risked losing
his sight. 10 that, adding the combats
sustained against the barbarianS, the
infidelitieS of his friends, of his COM
paniOns, the villainouS conspiracies, the
perfidiousneSs of the envious. the
calumnies of the traducers, the chains
with which, after all, though innocent,
he was loaded. 1t was inevitable that
man. overwhelmed with a burden of
trials so great and so intense, would
have succumbed had he not sustained
ing very noble enterprise which he
conjectured would be glorious for
the Christian name and salutary for an
infinite multitude. And the enterprise
so carried out is admirably illustrated
by the events of that time. I'm effect,
Columbus discovered America at about
the period when great tempest was
ng to unchain itself against the
church. Inasmuch as that it is permitted
by the course of events to appreciate
the ways of divine Providence, it really
seems that the man for whom Liguria
honors herself was destined by a special
plan of God to compensate Catholicism
for the injury which it was going to suf-
fer in Europe. TO call the Indian race
to Christianity. this was without doubt
the mission and work of the church. In
this mission commenced from the begin
ming, she continued to fulfill it with an
uninterrupted course of charity. and she
still continues it, having advanced her
self recently so far as the
Extremities of Patagonia.
AS to Columbus, certain as he was
tracing out and of preparing the ways
of the gospel, and fully absorbed in this
thought, caused all his actions to con-
verge to it, not undertaking anything of
any kind. but under Il e shield of re-
ligion and with the escort of piety, we
recall in this. in reality, things which
are we'll known. but which are not the
less remarkable, in order to show forth
the mind and the heart of this great
man. Thus, compelled by the POrtu-
guese, by the Genoese, to leave without
having obtained any result, he went to
Spain. He matured the grand plan of
the protected discovery in the midst of
the walls of convent with the
of, and with the advise
of a monk of the order of ST. |
Francis d'AssiZes. after seven years had |
revolved, when as last he goes to dare |
the ocean. he takes care that the expe-
dition shall comply with the acts of |
spiritual expatiation; he prays to the
queen of heaven to assist the enterprise |
and to direct its course, and before Civ |
ing the order to sail he invokes the au-
gust divine trinity. Then, once fairly
at sea, while the waters agitate them
selves, while the crew murmurs, he
maintains, under Gods care, calm
constancy of mind. HIS plan manifests
itself in the very names which he i'm
poses on the new islands. and each time
that he is called upon to land upon one
of them he worShips
The Almighty God