Ive Seminary Filipinas

10 月 12 日下午 4:20  · 
October 12 2021 | Our Lady of the Pillar
Today we celebrate the Dia de la Hispanidad. A commemoration of the fruitful work of the Spanish Missionaries in
the Americas after its discovery by Christopher Columbus that paved a way to the discovery and Evangelization of
the Philippines.
We bring you this article to imbued our spirits with gratitude to the Almighty Father's Providence.
We invoke the prayers of Our Lady of the Pillar the patroness of the Hispanidad.

DISCOVERY OF AMERICA’S GLOBAL IMPORTANCE IN THE CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS ASPECTS

The feast of October 12th is not only worthy of interest for the American nations and for Spain. Pope Leo XII says
that “that which has been profit for all should be celebrated by everybody with piety and gratitude”.
No nation has ceased reporting the direct and indirect benefits brought about by the Discovery of the new
hemisphere. The art of sailing received an unknown impulse. The trade was enriched with new markets, new
products, new raw material and new methods of metals working and manufactured goods fabrication. All sciences,
such as astronomy, geography, ethnology, botanic, zoology and mineralogy were opened to beyond suspicion
horizons. The new lands, under a sociologic point of view, presented a home and welcoming refuge to all men of
initiative and to hungry, persecuted or unsatisfied multitudes coming from every nation.
The exploits carried out in the New World, during the first century, by the discovering, the civilization and
evangelizing men cannot be compare with anything done before by humanity during all its centuries of existence.
The American author Charles F. Lummis, has in no way exaggerated when affirming that “a century of such
explorations and conquest the world never saw before nor since.” ; and he adds that “no other mother-nation ever
bore a hundred Stanleys and four Julius Caesar in one century”
“It is unthinkable all the unbelievable resistance, audacity, tenacity and almost temerarious value of those men. They
were always few in number, victims of sickness and most distressing privations; always surrounded by the most
formidable obstacles of the elements and by a nature which imposed them twice the fear inspired by the mystery of
the unknown, presented by an effective magnitude in those unmeasurable and impenetrable jungles, populated by
infinite dangerous serpents and beasts, against which they only could opposed, not including their sword and just in
few times, the defense of their dressing. And thus, they were assaulted by numerous enemies armies to which they
could only resist by a centupled ability and value.
When one reads the narrations of the chroniclers and historians, such as Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Cabeza de Vaca,
Cieza, Gómora, Fernández de Oviedo, Friar Toribio de Motilinia, and Friar Jerónimo de Mendieta, Solís and others,
one is inclined to think that those men were forged with irony mussels and ligaments, and bestowed with a superior
spirit.
It does not motivate the Spaniards the romantic eagerness of glory or the positive stimulus of the lucre, though they
were neither free nor cleaned from those passions. Some were blind by them. But, nevertheless, those who
channeled the powerful wave from the Peninsula together with those who closely witnessed it, were mindful of the
superior mission that was to be done —that of the civilization.
The transformation which America underwent in just one century, from California to Buenos Aires, was
undoubtedly prodigious. The arts and crafts, the weaving industries of wool, linen and cotton, the works of iron and
precious metals and the ceramic and glassware were as good, or even better, as those of the Peninsula or Europe… It
appeared from the ground, as by charm, thousands of cities totally Europeans. Great public works of enormous
importance were done: the construction of huge ways of communication, such as the highway that drove from
Mexico to Santa Fe; the very notable works in the mines, such as the one of Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Potosí and
others; aqueducts, such as that of Cempoala, of fifteen leagues of longitude, in which construction intervened during
16 years the Franciscan Francis of Tembleque; beautiful buildings and superb cathedrals which until now are filling
us with admiration; and numerous and splendidly equipped hospitals.
These manifestations of civilization, which could be called material, were accompanied with others of a superior
culture and administrative organization. Thus the centers of education began with the primary schools, wherein
students were taught how to read and write, and concluded with the Universities among which were found during
the 16th century, those of Lima, Mexico and Cuzco, founded in 1551, 1552 and 1598 respectively, and bestowed,
the first two, with the same privileges that the University of Salamanca. In this universities and in different colleges,
such as the one of San Felipe and San Martin of Lima, of Trujillo and Guamangua of Arequipa, of Santa Cruz de
Tatlelulco and Puebla de los Angeles of Mexico, etc., were formed the natives writers Cardenas, Sanchez de Viana,
Adrian de Alesio and others. Their masterpieces were printed there, since many printings press had at that time their
workshops in the New World.
In the legislative organization (which was formed by the city Councils or municipalities, the viceroy and the
peninsular tribunal of “Council of Indias”) the laws had nothing to envy the Europeans ones, neither because of their
wisdom or humanity.
There is no doubt at all. The immense territories of the Spanish America were, during the 16th century, a worthy
testimony of the huge and generous thrust of the colonizing race, which was in the peak of its activity.
Thus the great effort which was done can be better understood in comparison with Africa, which has been known
since ancient times. In just one century the Spaniards did in the New World more than what Europe did for its
neighboring continent during many centuries, and, in spite of the material progress, what it has done for Africa until
now.
The Spanish America, at the end of the 16th century, is an extension of the motherland in its most splendid period of
its life. Africa, partly unexplored even in the 20th century, is in no way a prolongation of Europe.
Now, the civilization planted by Spain in America had a character and mark absolutely Christian… Therefore,
because of this same character, the Church took an active and important part in this huge work. And thus it was; in
this entire endeavor and in many aspects, even in the materials, she innermost collaborated and did with her
ministries deeds and exploits never surpassed, neither by the civil elements nor by the military branch, though both
greatly contributed in this labor.”
Consequently, nobody will be surprised when reading the words of Pope Leo XIII, who highlighting the importance
of this historical fact one October 12th says: “This fact, considered in itself, is the greatest and most beautiful deed
carried out by men throughout the ages”
And this is also in agreement with what the historian Lopez de Gomara wrote to the Emperor Charles V in the
General history of the Indias: “the greatest thing, after the creation of the world, and not including the Incarnation
and Death of Whom created it, is the discovery of the Indias… God wanted you to discover the Indias in your time
and with your vassals so that you may convert them to His holy law”
Pope Leo XIII also adds: “Hundreds of millions rose from oblivion and from the darkness in which they were lying.
They were restored to the common society of mankind, converted from barbarity to smoothness of customs and to
the civilized life, and, what is most worthy, they were transported from the way of perdition to the eternal life,
together with the communication of goods brought by Jesus Christ.”