Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-13
COLUMBUS NO SAINT.
Failure of Canonization Due to
His Own Misconduct.
LOVE HIS GREAT SIN
Son of Beatriz Enriquez Fathers
Companion to New World.
HE WON FAME AS SCHOLAR
Woman Deserted by Discoverer, But
Commended to Legitimate Child
in Last Will.
HE WON FAME AS SCHOLAR
RY WILLIAM T.. CURTIS.

r.
Written for The Star and the thic.go Record
Herald.
There has been a great deal in the
papers lately and several dispatches
from Rome concerning a revival of ef-
forts by admirers of Christopher CO.
lumbus TO have his honored name en-
rolled among the saints.
This has been attempted several
times before The question was
ferred to and considered by the congre-
cation of the cura, which has juris-
diction over such things. during the
celebration Of the +O0th anniversary Of
the discovery of America in 1892.
Chevalier Giuseppe Baldi. n gentle
man of Genoa. who owns the house in
which Columbus was born, and several
of his manuscripts and other relics, and
has ono Of the largest collections of
literature relating 10 Columbus in ex
istence, was the leader Of the move
ment. He secured the signatures Of
millions OF people i'm all parts OF the
= world To Il petition to his holiness. Pope
Leo XIII. for his canonizaton.
The petitions received careful atten-
- tiOn and now slowed away some
q. where in the basement Of the Vatican.
carload Of autographs of statesmen.
= and women Of all stations and nations.
Formalities of Canonization.
The Congresatio Sacrarum Rituum of
the Roman Curia has jurisdiction over
such matters. and the process of canoni
zation and beatifcation requires the
= most rigid formalities OF procedure The
present process was founded by Pope
siTtus V. January %. 1857. and pro-
Nfdes for Il congregation of five cardi-
nails. with titular archbishop as sec
rotary.
a They also look after the observance and
The Improvement of the ritual. and set
- tie disputes about precedence in pro-
- cessions and at divine worship. The
congregation includes also what are
% called officiales praelati. who are rep
resentatives from the Augustinian and
subpromotor fidei and an assessor
whose business is to make investiga-
tions of the claims of persons recon-
e. mended for canOnzation.
. There are sIXty-twO different steps to
be taken before the congregation OF
rites makes its report TO the holy
father. Its recommendations are then
. considered at "a consistory. perhaps
more than one. The proceedings al
ways require several years and some
Times several generations. as was the
case in the CanoniZation of Joan of Arc,
r whose name was added to the list or
saints last year.
- Sometimes learned prelates who are
. not members of the congregation are
invited to assist in the investigation be-
cause OF their knowledge or faculty or
research They may spend years look
:. ing up facts and trying TO ascertain the
truth.
The congregation of rites never makes
an unfavorable report. II its decision
is in the negative there is no announce
ment, and the papers are filed away in
t''the archives without notice To any au-
thority: so that II the new pettlons LOT
the canonization of Columbus have &C
E tIally been submitted TO the holy father.
y the project and members of the congreSa-
. tion will simply have to review the rec
. 7ords Of previous Investigations
Columbus a Grave Sinner.
The reasons for the rejection of Co
lumbus were found in his own writings.
which convict him Of sins and weaknesses
that cannot be condoned by services to
the church or other evidences of piety.
After the death OF his wife in Portu-
= gal and his arrival in Cordova in pursuit
OF the Spanish court. Columbus fell in
= love with Beatriz EnriqueZ, daughter OF
an innkeeper in that city.
IL YOU would see the house i'm which
she was born and in which Columbus
won her affections you need only step
from the Mosque of A-thousand-and-One
pillars. that most curious Of all archi-
= tectural freaks in Spain. across the street.
Enriquez, standing exactly as IL did more
than $50 years ago, when Columbus made
his advent there. IL is still used
h0stelry, but is patronized almost ex-
l. -clusively by arrieros, or teamsters. who
9. leave their heavy carts in a corral ad-
joining. stable their animals upon the
. first floor OF the building, and find bed
= and board. with very plain fare. in the
. rooms of the upper story, which open
. upon a balcony surrounding the court.
You also see the house In which
Columbus lived with Beatriz Enriauez-
IL is now occupied by shoemaker-a
rudely built. one-story building, with
steep roof Of heavy red tiles, standing
. under the shadow Of 4 great octagonai
" tower reside one OF the main gates 10
q The city OF CordOva.
N will he pointed ont To you by any
Of the guides or haCkmen of Cordova.
. Every tourist is taken there. Next 10
the palace and the mosque. IL Is the most
:, Interesting object in the city.
Obscure Chapter Of His Life.
!. We know very little of the life of Co
%umbus IN Cordova except that he spent
some time there importuning the author
.--ities for ships and money 10 find a new
passage 10 India. living with Beatriz
Enriquez, without the Formally OF mar
rage: and she was the mother of his
son Fernando. who was born in the little
Cottage by the tower.
we 90 lot hHoN "icie Si!'' uNeu uuill
the time OF his attendance upon the court
az Spain elsewhere. nor while he was alb
sent his voyages. There Is nothing
in any OF his Journals or manuscripts to
throw light upon her conduct or place OF
residence But in his will written be-
fore he departed upon his first voyage
ne beseeChes his eldest son. Diego. to
whom ne left the greater part of his
property. 10
IKE care Of Beatriz Enriquez mother
= az Don Fernando. my son: supply her
with all that enable her to live in
AN honorable manner, she being a person
to whom ! am under such grave obli-
cations. and DO this TO relieve my CON
science, because il weighs heavily my
soul
That the family OF Beatriz found no
fault with her relations TO Columbus Is
inferred from the fact that her brother