--- Gilbert Lawrence <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > St. Francis Xavier and the Inquisition- Very > Important > >
> Response: I am not sure about being the Pope's > legate. He was the > superior general of the Jesuits. But the documents > show he had poor > support of the Jesuit Hierarchy to his > recommendation and complaints > about the situation in Goa. His desires and > recommendations appear to > have been subverted by the local Jesuits in Goa and > by Ignatius in Rome. > The question I wonder is as Spanish was he a victim > of resentment by the > Portuguese? > Hence the Inquisition was for the people > (Portuguese) who > lived "thorough out all your fortresses" under the > King's command. Now > we know that SFX was a thorn in the side of the > Portuguese for > highlighting their un-Christian behavior while he is > trying to propagate > the virtues and kindness of Jesus Christ. > > Reflections: As I have said the power of the church > and the church's > role in the inquisition in Goa and in Europe was > against the Catholics > and not against the not-Christians. > Regards, Gilbert > >Dear Gilbert, It is very difficult to have a discussion with someone who hasn't read the history of the period, the letters of Francis Xavier and other documents, even in brief. Pointless trying to rebut statements made off the top of someone's head that Xavier was not the Papal Legate, that the Inquisition was set up to punish the Portuguese for their "bad" behavior, and that it didn't affect the non-Catholics. Xavier was both the Papal Legate and the Jesuit Provincial Superior for the Indies. There are records of Papal Briefs that gave him full powers to represent the Pope. While we can't be full historians on the inernet, we should at least stick to the basic facts before launching into flights of our imagination. Totally untrue that the local Jesuits went against him or that Ignatius of Loyola went against him! Totally untrue that the Inquisition punished people for bad behavior or that it targeted the Portuguese! The Inquisition was a watchdog of people's belief and the practice of the Catholic faith, not of people's morals. Is there any record of any Portuguese being put to death by the Inquisition in Goa?! Did any Portuguese have to run away from Goa like the Hindus did? If the Inquisiton did not eventually affect the non-Catholics, then why did so many Hindus run away from Goa and why were their temples destroyed etc.? In any case, whoever the targets of Xavier's Inquisition might have been in our reading of the documents, it was still a cruel and unChristian institution that contradicted the spirit of the Gospels and of Christ. Hardly a worthy objective of any Christian missionary to try to bring it to Goa. I agree with Fred, let's move on... Filomena > > ########################################################################## > # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > # > # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), > and avoid top-posts # > # More details on Goanet at > http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # > # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to > reflect respect to others # > ########################################################################## __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Hotjobs: Enter the "Signing Bonus" Sweepstakes http://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/signingbonus ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################