The Pope's Account of the First Evangelization Offends Indigenous Group

From BBC.com:

Indigenous leaders in Brazil have reacted angrily to Pope Benedict's comments that their predecessors had willingly converted to Christianity.

One Amazon Indian leader, Jecinaldo Satere Mawe, said the Pope's remarks had been arrogant and disrespectful.

Pope Benedict XVI told Latin American bishops in Brazil that American Indians had been "silently longing" to become Christians 500 years ago.

The Pope has now returned home after his five-day trip to Brazil.

The Vatican has made no further comment.

'Wrong and indefensible'

The BBC's Emilio San Pedro said the Pope had said the Christianisation of the region had not involved an alienation of the pre-Colombian cultures.

Our correspondent said Pope Benedict also made no mention of the violent history that followed or the documented decimation of native cultures in favour of the Christian model Conquistadores and other Europeans colonisers.

He said the comments had even been criticised by the Catholic Church's Indian advocacy group in Brazil, which described the Pope's statement as wrong and indefensible.

To Laugh or to Cry?

Taken from the Catholic News Agency (Sodality Run News Agency)

The title is absolutely shameless, and the celebration of this statistic itself is intra-Church political back-patting at its best. Bolded text is added emphasis.

Spain even more generous than Latin America: 800 Spanish missionary priests

Madrid, Feb 14, 2007 / 11:31 am (CNA).- According to the Spanish bishops’ Committee on Missions and Cooperation Between Churches, a total of 800 Spanish diocesan priests are currently on mission in Latin America, with most in Peru (127), the United States (88), Venezuela (82) and Brazil (74).

In a message to mark the Spanish America Day on March 4, the president of the committee, Bishop Ramon del Hoyo of Jaen said, “Rather than a decrease in the Spanish Church’s missionary concern for the work of evangelization in Latin America,” the Spanish dioceses “have always been willing to cooperate.”

He explained that the theme for Spanish America Day this year is related to the theme chosen for the 5th Conference of the Latin American Bishops’ Council (CELAM), which will take place in May in Aparecida, Brazil, and will focus especially on the missions.

“For historical reasons related to culture and to language, the missionary spirit of the Spanish Church has always focused on the sister churches” of Latin America in a special way, “Bishop del Hoyo stressed.

In a letter sent to the Bishops’ Conference of Spain, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, encouraged the Spanish Church to “live true evangelical boldness” at a time in which Latin America “needs her religiosity to be awakened and nourished with decisiveness more than ever.”

The cardinal also thanked Catholics in Spain for their pastoral concern for Latin America “during more than 500 years of evangelization” and he called on them to “continue in this great missionary commitment” in these “extensive regions where the spiritual and earthly needs are so great.”

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Spain's Catholics had pastoral concern over the past 500 years?

Enjoy Takillakkta

Takillakkta is a group that is strongly associated with the Sodalite Family; there is no coincidence that the musicians are from Figari's organization.

Basically, they feature consecrated laymen (of largely European descent) that play zampoñas, guitars, quenas and other Andean and creole instruments.

Most english speakers probably do not have a clue as to what they're hearing and seeing.

Here is the page: TAKILLAKKTA


And here are the songs translated:

1492

When Christopher Columbus discovered this continent,
The history of evangelization began,
Blessed discoverer of the Americas,
The New World was waiting for Christ the Redeemer

Passing through (the ocean) by caravel, in the sea under the stars,
They arrived to our land (the Americas),
And left profound footprints,
In the history of the Americas by the evangelization

Spain was chosen to bring the gospel to the bronze-skinned men[sic]
That were yearning for God.

With saintliness and heroism by the missionaries,
The glorious guidance was forged by the Virgen del Pilar

Year 92 of the distant 15th century
Broke dawn on our horizon with the light of faith,
The day del Pilar, the beautiful 12th of October,
Jesus Christ arrived to us

Teaching and preaching with the word and by example,
Our Saints blossomed, evangelizing the indian[sic], the black, the creole and mestizo with the faith of our God

This is the inheritance that they left us,
That which forges our history,
Let us unite our strengths to continue the labour of Christ!

Latin American brother, with heart in hand, let us work together to bring reconciliation!


Evangelization

This is the glorious history of the heroic deed of evangelization of this continent, our Latin America.
History of valiant men, of heroic Saints, history of lights and shadows, history of our faith.

When Christopher Columbus discovered this continent,
From Spain they sent people to preach,
The evangelization has pages of glory,
The history reminds us of it and it's certain that it is as said (refering to the pages of glory?),
This evangelization has pages of glory,
In order to help remind us of the memory of the Saints being there

There is Saint Paul Claver and Saint Rosa of Lima,
That arrived in Latin America to bloom,
They were changed with the duty of Anthony of Montesinos,
And as well with Saint Toribio and the mulatto[sic] Saint Martin,
Defending until the end the dignity of the poor.

The annnouncement of faith in Latin America
Was a devine blessing that like right here I will tell you,
In its origin and in Christianity being preached,
Through catechisms, prayers, songs and orations,
With dances and processions and with singing of the divine

Indian, white and people of colour, they were converted since early times,
Thus, the American continent met our Lord

The messengers of peace, they fought for justice,
Bartolome de las Casas (Saint) and as well Saint Louis Beltran,
Defending the poor, the Indian and the indian dignity,
The message of God came to America to proclaim,
Defending the poor, the Indian and the indian dignity,
The life of Bishop Valdivieso was given to deliver

Let us remember the missions of the fathers that gave help,
That into the rainforest they arrived preaching the gospel,
and the faithful missionaries, the Francisican friars,
that for Christ they conquered from Lima to Chiloé,
It is almost unbelievable the poverty(shortage/penury) that existed.