The Legacy of Ignorantism Part 3

Altho the Trinity is composed, as everybody knows, of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and in the Trisagio the three persons are invoked and asked at the same time, nevertheless there are other forms of securing the divine favor, invoking separately only one of the persons of the Trinity. Thus in the Novena of Jesus Sacramentado, the Father is asked by means of the intercession of the Son, or in other words, by only a viscera of the Son or an organ of his body, the heart, or more properly the Sacred Heart of Jesus. "The eternal Father has complacency," says the Novena (p. 6), "in that it is asked in the name of the Heart of his beloved Son * * *." "The Father Eternal said so directly to the venerable Mary of the incarnation"

(pp. 6-7). "Ask me thru the heart of my only begotten Son, and thru it I shall hear thee and thou shalt obtain all that thou wouldst ask * * *." Jesus said to his wife Margaret (esposa Margarita): "I ask you that on Friday immediately before the Corpus festivity, you particularly devote yourself to the wors.h.i.+p of my heart" (p. 7).

The adoration of the heart is not symbolic; it is the real heart that is adored: "they shall adore with greater frequency, to Jesus transsubtantiated, and in him, to his Divine Heart" (p. 7). "His Novena will be made before an image of Jesus or to His Sacred Heart"

(p. 10). The devout one, carrying his adoration almost to a point of the revival of atavic cannibalism, says to Jesus: "O, thou owner of mine! Give me thine body and with it thine heart that I may eat it!" (para que le coma) (p. 12).

There is a Novena dedicated to Saint Angel Custodio (Manila, 1897), who is the "Angel delegated by G.o.d to be at our side, and exercise with us the loving offices of a careful tutor, a loving governor, a loving preceptor, a faithful conductor, and an intimate and true friend * * *" (p. 6). "No saint in heaven interests himself more in our soul and in our business than the holy Guardian Angel"

(p. 6). His intervention is so useful and "he not only transmits what is asked but modifies our pet.i.tions when he knows that some of our pet.i.tions might bring us some spiritual or corporal evil"

(p. 7). "It is therefore the best guarantee against any error of ours, and naturally it makes a sense of responsibility absolutely useless."

Second Christ

Saint Domingo de Guzman is one of the most powerful lawyers in heaven. In his Novena (Manila, 1913), he is called the precursor of Christ, altho in reality he came to the world twelve centuries after Christ (p. 5). "In the chast.i.ty, color, and figure of his body, and in the eloquence of his spirit, he was the one most like Christ"

(p. 7). He was very celebrated in all manners of prodigies and miracles, both on earth and in heaven, among men as well as among beasts, among the living as well as the dead" (p. 9). One day Virgin Mary appeared to him and "holding him by the hand said to him that she loved him so tenderly, that if the Divine Lady were a mortal, she would not be able to live except in his presence, and would have died by the violence of the great love that she had for him * * *" (p. 10). Later Virgin Mary, not satisfied with such erotic manifestations, married him (le desposo consigo) in the presence of her husband Christ (esposo de Cristo), and of many blessed ones in heaven"

(pp. 11-12), resulting that Jesus, besides being the son of Mary, is also her husband, so that with Saint Joseph, Saint Domingo was the third husband of Mary. The Eternal Father communicated to Saint Catalina de Sena that Christ and Domingo were his two special sons * * *." Christ proceeded from the mouth of the Eternal Father, staying at his right, and Saint Domingo proceeded from the breast of the same Eternal Father, at his right on his feet in glory" (p. 15). With such antecedents one can readily understand how "Christ promised to concede to him all that he would ask on behalf of his devotees"

(p. 15), so that the power of the Saints is unlimited. In verse it is said of him:--

You can do everything in heaven being husband of Mary; Who so confides in thee (Domingo) give him health and comfort.

You have faithfully and unceasingly defended the church (p. 35).

Pues podeis tanto en el Cielo, Siendo esposo de Maria; Domingo, al que en vos confia, Dadle salud y consuelo" (p. 35).

Fuesteis can que con desvelo a la Iglesia defendida * * *" (p. 35).

The can is referred to here because while the mother was pregnant it (the foetus, el feto) was manifested to her in the form of a dream and in the figure of a dog with a lighted ax in his mouth (p. 6).

Promises of the Virgin

The Novena to the Virgin of the Rosary begins with an enumeration of the Fifteen Promises of the Virgin to the devotees of the Rosary. In the first she promises to grant whatever special grace is asked of her. He who prays the rosary will be converted if he is a sinner, and in any event will be admitted to life eternal. "All that is asked of her will be secured quickly" (p. 4).

The list of miracles performed by the image of the Virgin of the Rosary is endless and occupies all the pages from 37 to 90 of the Novena. Not only does the image perform miracles but her skirt as well as the oil that burns in her lamp, and the water where her hands are washed, or any rosary or object touched by her skirt or her image also accomplish miracles (p. 9).

In the Novena of Saint Joseph (Manila, 1910), after reminding him of his relation with G.o.d, it is affirmed that "there is no protection more efficacious for securing all that is asked than his"

(p. 7). "Necessitating everything from the divine favor it is sure that none shall fail who confident will seek the protection of Saint Joseph"

(p. 29). "Saint Joseph a.s.sists the needy, gives health to the sick, consoles the afflicted, sends rains, freezes ice, multiplies fruits, favors in storms, on the roads, and among the drowning * * *. Finally there shall be none who trusting in the same will not receive that which is asked."

To the Holy Child of Cebu, an image which was left in that city by the companions of Magellan, went the Cebuanos before their conversion to Catholicism to ask rain "carrying him in a procession to the seash.o.r.e and submerging it in the water and thus secure the rain that they needed so much." (Novena al Santisimo Nombre, Malabon, 1895, p. 5). Nevertheless, the immersion in the sea water is a recourse which may be said to be resorted to only in extreme cases because a verse in that novena says:

Si acaso no conseguian las aguas porque os rogaban, al mar, Oh Nino, os llevaban, y en las aguas os metian; y asi el agua que pedian, otorgaba vuestro amor" (p. 29).

If they failed to get the waters they prayed for, to the sea, Oh Child, they carried thee and put thee in the water, so that thy love conceded the water they asked.

The better known miracles by the Holy Child took place from 1618 to 1675. Since then nothing in the Novena that is memorable is registered. Nevertheless, the novena confirms that "the Holy Child performs continually" miracles (p. 15), and to "him go all the citizens of Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, Samar, and Mindanao to kiss his sacred feet and venerate him and commend to him their necessities and misfortunes, asking relief in their sickness, a.s.sistance in their voyages, and protections in all the events of life" (pp. 15-16).

The certainty of finding what is sought in the novenas is a.s.sured in reference to Saint Roque. "The exercise of this novena," it is said (p. 3, Novena, Manila, 1910), "offers us a means of compelling (obligar) this glorious saint to secure of G.o.d what we ask." To be rid of epidemics--which has its origin in the corruption of the air--we must have recourse to San Roque with fervent prayers"

(p. 3). By the side of the corpse of the saint a letter was found which was supposed to have been written by G.o.d, which reads: "Those afflicted with plague who implore the favor of Roque will find health"

(p. 5). The intervention of Saint Roque is exclusively in favor of the Catholics. Who so makes his novena says the following:

"I implore thee that by the merits of this glorious Saint, thou freest us all who a.s.sist to this cult and to all the Catholics of the Kingdom of Spain and of these Islands of all pestilential diseases which might take away our lives" (p. 13). Since the Catholics of the United States are not included here, the Bureau of Health ought to remember that such citizens together with those who are not Catholics who inhabit the Philippines do not enjoy the anti-pestilential protection of Saint Roque.

Superst.i.tion and Crime

In his notable study on Criminal Anthropology of the Philippines, Dr. Sixto de los Angeles (p. 119) says:

The easy credulity fomented by the over-development of religious fanaticism, has const.i.tuted from the beginning to this day one of the defects unfortunately so widespread still among the native inhabitants of the country * * *. Devoted to their inherited traditions and customs and lacking in adequate opportunities to acquire proper knowledge, the ma.s.s of the people have to adhere as it is logical and natural, to their beliefs, which by their not requiring any effort to understand are imbedded and deeply rooted in a spontaneous manner in their minds. As it is shown in our annals of the judiciary, superst.i.tion occupies a notable place among the factors of criminality in this country.

The superst.i.tions to which Doctor de los Angeles alludes are not only those of the old paganism of the Filipinos which the missionaries after more than three centuries have not succeeded in completely eradicating. The superst.i.tions referred to in this work are those brought here by the same missionaries, and which they have easily succeeded in implanting in the conscience of the Filipinos naturally disposed to credulity by means of the efficient and generous distribution of the novenas and other booklets of devotion.

Since until the coming of the Americans the instruction in the Philippines was always and exclusively religious, and was directed by the Roman priests, the persistence of these old superst.i.tions are evident proofs of the failure of religious education. As an excuse missionaries will perhaps attribute this to the invincible rudeness of the Filipinos, which we shall admit for courtesy's sake and to avoid discussions. But what is all-important is not that they were unable to take out something (of the superst.i.tions), out of the supposed hardheadedness of the Indio, but the tremendous wealth of superst.i.tion which for more than three centuries these missionaries inculcated (han hecho penetrar) in that same head to the detriment of his mentality and his morality.

Lack of Will

The sinner lacking in will to control his evil deeds says to Jesus, was.h.i.+ng his hands in the divine intervention and giving proof of his lack of due sense of responsibility: "Is it possible, sweet Saviour of souls, that, converting so many every day, alone in my perdition, thou mayest show thyself indifferent?" (p. 13). This is a part of a prayer made by no less a person than His Holiness, Pope Gregory VII, in his Devout Exercise of the Pa.s.sion of Christ, Manila, 1905.

It is said also to the Virgin: "Cleanse, thou Immaculate Virgin, my heart of all sin and take away from me all that may be unpleasant in thy purest eyes! Purge my soul of all earthly love and affections"

(pp. 10-11, Corona Franciscana de la Virgen Maria, Manila, 1902).

By the intercession of Saint Francis, the devout one asks of G.o.d that "I completely subdue my disorderly pa.s.sions, powers, and senses,"

so "that I may subject my thoughts, measure my words, and direct my work to the greatest perfection," and "that thou mayest soften the hardness of my heart" (pp. 18, 20, and 21 of the Novena of Saint Francis de Asis, Manila, 1905).

Frightened by the machinations of Satan the devout one to Saint Filomena asks (p. 23, Novena): "She obtains from the Lord that which destroys more and more the powers of my enemies, the devils, and that I be saved in spite of myself."

The guidance of Saint Filomena is invoked by saying (p. 25, Novena): "See to it that I also be chaste according to my station, and that my mouth will not utter those words which according to St. Paul, should not be said among the faithful."

To Saint Anna, mother of Mary, the devout one says: "Interest thyself therefore, my Saint, that I may be granted patience in my adversities, tolerance of wrongs, and, in everything, a tranquil mind"

(Novena, Manila, 1893, p. 10). Also the following prayer is directed: "Put forth therefore your effort, my Saint, with thy sacred grandson, Jesus, that every imperfection and bad desire may be taken from our hearts, that we may pardon for love of G.o.d all wrongs."

It is not possible to cultivate a sense of dignity or self-respect itself when doctrines are disseminated such as these, which result from the following examples in the Novena of Santa Rosa de Lima.

Carried by her humility, she made a mere servant step on her lips (p. 10). "She loved ridicules more than worldly honors" (p. 102). * *

* and she desired so much that all others considered her the worst in the world, that she merited being in h.e.l.l, and that it was her proper place because of her sins. If any body happened not to know her and that she was considered innocent, she would say "n.o.body knows me, I alone know what I am" (p. 11). "Hearing once that they praised her as being virtuous she felt so bad that she fainted" (p. 11).

In a prayer to Saint Filomena (Novena, p. 16), it is said to the saint asking her protection: "My sins made me less than angels, very inferior to the beasts, since these do not forget the manger of their master, and in their own way they are grateful for their food, and I have forgotten the house of G.o.d * * *." Not only self ridicule comes out of these things, but lack of logic in attributing to the grat.i.tude of the beasts their return to their manger, when it is clear that the motive that prompts them is simply hunger.

The Ire of G.o.d