The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-11-10

lies of Mexico hope TO have the Lazy on
Guadalupe awarded the honor nm
igious writers OF the past three ~
dred years have discussed the authicm
tcity OF the Lady OF Guadalupe. mon
historians have universally as.eh ~ The
1; as being genuine, but so inue n a. the
miraculous must be first accepted az na
frntb ina, The papal authorities nave
treated the matter with extreme
yatism. c,,adaIune
Is -psculiarly interesting, ana runs III III"
on the 9th or 18th day OF Decemoef.
i'm the year 1851, Juan Diego, .o ora
ed Indian. was going ~ ,p0 c,iv of Mex
fco Passing the spot where chais ~
cate spring is now. he heard me soui f,o y,
swee, music. and beheld a raiipo"' aao'
which suddenly appeared to MN u pea a,
tifuI lady who told him she was 'ne
blessed Virgin and that he must go "
their bishop and inform him OF what nc
had heard and seen: - =. oao M
This the Indian did, but ne mauc ~, ~
in1nression on the bishop. -Four times lie
Virgin appeared to Diego ana away, III
fhe same SPOT and at the last meeting
she cured him OF serious Ito Ii,a," ,.h,cb
tho water OF the chalybcate spring, WHICH.
suddenly burst up under her rect.
She then told the Indian 10 80 up OH
the mountain near the top and satner
some roses which he must take 10 Tue
bishop with the message that tney caile
from her and that she desired the pishoP
to ssbuild n church on the mountain and
worship her there as the virgin OF qua
dalupe." -. -,
Nothing but pines and scrub grew on
the mountain as Juan Diego knew full
well. for ne traversed ii daily. But ne
did as he was told. and found roses on
the very SPOT where now STANDS the
upper chapel He hastily plucked them
and wrapped them I'm his blanket ana ue-
livered them to the bishop, with the
Virgins last message.
As the bishop took the flowers from the
blanket, according 10 the legend. there APP
peared, painted on the coarse WOOL
beautiful madonna, the very picture OF
the Virgin OF Guadalupe. The MOWERS anu
the blanket were transferred 10 INC
church in whose custody they now are,
and our Lady Of Guadalupe became at
once and has been ever since the guaI-
dian saint of Mexico. "a.
of domes and turrets with the little CHAP
ol I'm which is the chalypeate sprins;
and further UP the mountain, a ssSoniu
and larger chapel were erected 10 MARIA
santissma de Guadalupe.
Considerable importance attaches 10
the name Guadalupe, the name oy Nhicn
the Virgin directed that the picture OF
herself should be called. But she was
talking to an Indian in one OF the Ma
hua dialects. Scholars affirm that the let
ters I'd" and "g' do not occur IN those
languages and that the nearest an Aztec
could come 20 saying Guadalupe would
The ancient name OF the hill where
the appreciation is said TO have taken
place was Tepeyac. No certalnly-traceh
connection can be made out, but II Is
n fact of great significance that Spain
had her own Lady of Guadalupe before
the conquest.
According to the historian Salazar, a
VIRGIN BY that name was the object or
Worship i'm "A small village of Andalusia.
| The historian goes on TO say that Her
nan CorteZ w2s much given 10 the Wor.
! ship of this saint, and that he had placed
! IN her shrine a silver lamp ana an enc
rald-incrusted scorpion of gold. Mexican
| history reveals no connection between
Cortez and the Mexican Virgin OF Qua
| dalupc. yet IL is supposed tnat one eN-
listed of which all trace has been lost
The hin of Tepeyac had long been the
| scene of pagan rites of great religious
! inheritance The Indians regarded the
| place as sacred long before they Were
| taught to yenerate II by the spanish
| priests Sahagun relates that the tempe
| 10 the Virgin but succeeds an older one
! one OF the Aztecs In the same locaiity.
| The same Catholic historian says Una,
lust as the Indians now gather from an
narts OF the country to share the tesu-
| vai of Guadalupe-D Day, December eth. so
| I'm earlier times multitudes were won't 10
assemble yearly i'm the same place TO JOIN
| I'm the greatest Of heather Ieasts
The deity worshlped on the spot where
the Virgin is now held in such Venera
ton was known as Tonantzin. Ihat worn
is variouslv translated Mother OF the
Gods" or "Oueen of the Virgins 1huS
no violent wrench in the religious IDEAS
~ the natives was required i'm their tran
sition from one faith to the other. o,.
IL was not until l15l more tnan ~
wears after the apparition, that the Holy
See granted the requests OF inc Nl' eAi-
cans and gave permission for the religious
ceiebration of 'Guadalupe-Day. assigning
the proper prayers and offices In Ih q.
decision conceding this Benedict MY.