The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-12-16

N-i'. NAi-AA CA y Ia AlVt IttQ 10
speak maybe.
CHURCH IN AMERICA
BEFORE COLUMBUS CAME
At the International Scientific Con-
Eress Of Catholics held in Paris from
he LIST 10 the 9Th Of April. 1891 there
was read an essay by NJ. de Dr. Luka
delic on The Evangelzation Of Ameri-
"a Before Christopher Columbus" A
compendium Of that essay will be Of in
acrest TO all Americans
After stating the ancient tradition
concerning the existence of a ontinent
beyond the Atlantic ocean--a tradition
nj the Egyptians, Of the Greeks and OF
the Middle A2es-the author speaks of
The voyage of st. Brendan and his Irish
monks in the sixth century IN search
Of continent beyond the Atlantic
ocean; of the unsuccessful efforts made
afterwards 10 rediscover these trans
Atlantic islands, which are mentioned
ny HonoriuS of Autun G1l2-1137. and
10y Gervaise Of Tilbury G21). the geog-
raphers and found on the maps Of The
Middle Ages; he shows that the CONT
nent Of America was colonized by the
Mortimer at the beginning Of the tenth
century.
saeas' Traditions.
The scandinavian Sagas attribute the
discovery and colonization Of Green
land 20 the Northman Gumbiorn tSS7).
and Eric the Red $3.50: the discovery
and colonization OF the coasts of north
east America to Barn Heriulfson 1856
and Lief the Lucky GOOD. The Sagas
tel us that the conversion Of Green
and to Christianity was due to St.
olaf the Great, king Of Norway 1015-
5000. This testimony of the Sagas is
confirmed by a Bun OF Pope Nicholas.
Of the date 144S. in which he speaks
Of the existing tradition to that effect.
which had been communicated to him
by the Greenlanders themselves. Our
author gives a copy of this Bull in his
Appendix.
Christianity on American Continent.
As to the date of the Introduction of
Christianity on the American continent.
we have only vague indications. IN
1850, the Saxon Bishop Jason went as
Tar as Ninelaud, and suffered martyr
dom there. In 1112 or Ills Cpsi.
an lrishman. was consecrated bishop Of
America and preached the gospel 10
The natives of the continent. in 1921
he went to Nineland. and determined
not to return to Greenland in order to-
give his entire attention to- the evan
gellzation of this new country. As to
The success Of his work. the vatican
archives give abundant testimony IN
the reports made 10 Rome Of the COL
lections Of Peter Pence taken up bv
the Dishop in the diocese Gardar: for
such collections were based on the
number Of families and therefore in
N327 there must have been al least one
thousand Catholic families IN the do
cese. judging from the report made to
Rome for that year.
The colonies Of Greenland by regu-
lation OF Benedict TX G04D were sub
ject to the archbishopric OF Hamburg
Bremen. which comprised all The north
eTn countries OF Europe They were
under the immediate jurisdiction Of
the bishop Of Ireland. After Eric-Cpsi
had decided not 20 return to Green
land, the colonis.s then held diet. in
1913. and petiti0ned that Greenland
might be erected into an episcopal see.
Not having the requisite number of
lllha bitants 10 constitute 2 diocese.
Etill by reason Of its distance from Eu-
rope the petition was granted. The
first bishop. Arnold was chosen IN 1924.
ronsecrated by the archbishop of Lund
and fixed his see al Gardar in 1926
For some years the new see remained
subject 10 the archbishop OF Hamburg
Bremen.
Diocese of Gardar.
When the ecclesiastical province Of
Norway was esta blished. in MS by
Pope Eugene III Gardar was attached
20 II as one OF its Suffragan sees. the
province being that Of Droutheim. and
7hus wefind from the middle of the
twelfth century. he diocese Of Gardar
always mentioned IN the Provinciaie
Vejus OF Albinus. 1883 in The LibeC
ana later on, i'm the II Libra Taxa
rum
In 1913 Greenland was invaded By
savaEcs from the American continent.
who pillaged and burnt all lis towns
and made captiVcs. of all its inhab-
itants. Only nine churches. iu the in
tc~ior, escaped destruction. Thirty
wears after, the Greenlauders managed
10 return 10 their native land rebuilt
as best thew could some OF their
hurches and begged OF Pope Nicholas
y TO send them bishop and some
.riests TO care for their souls. They IN
formed the pope Of the destruction OF
heir homes. the massacre OF their
priests, and the sufferings they had
endured for thirty years in captivity
on The continent, The pope listened to
their prayers. and III 14AS commanded
The bishop Of Hola and Skalhof to re-
unknown reasons the pope's decision
t,ss not carried out.
5enedictine Bishop Sent.
over forty years elapsed. when the
Greenlauders renewed their petition
for spiritual ala to Pope Innocent VIII
Their situation was -3nest deplerable
abandoned to themselves for almost
century without bishops. without
liests TO instruct thom. without thc
sacrament they had almost forgotten
the faith OF their fathers. The only me-
mortal of that faith which they had
been able TO preserve was 4 corporal
which was every year exposed publicly
Tor the vcneration Of the public on
nat corporal hundred years before
he last priest IN Greenland had conse-
Grated the Body and Blood Of our
Lord. Moved by their touching appeal
= leXander VI, who had succeeded In
-loceut VII. sent to the see Of Gardar
Matthias a Benedictine. who had beer
made a bishop by his predecessor. I1e
WAS a man filed with holy zeal for the
salvation of the poor Gireenianders.
This was the very year that hailed with
wonder the news of the discovery OF
America by Christopher Columbus
C499) Tho Messenger.