| THE POPE'S LOVE AFFAIR WITH MEXICO |
| Written by Maria Elena Salinas |
| Monday, August 05 2002 |
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| "Virgin of Guadalupe, watch over Mexico! Watch over the whole beloved American continent!" -- Pope John Paul II
MEXICO CITY -- There is something about Mexico that Pope John Paul II finds irresistible. This nation of an estimated 75 million Roman Catholics was the country he visited on his first foreign trip as pope, back in 1979. As the frail 82-year-old pontiff arrived for his fifth visit to Mexico on July 30, many thought this could very well be his last.
As I stood outside Mexico's Basilica of Guadalupe -- the second-most-visited Catholic shrine in the world, after St. Peter's in Rome -- I wondered about the pope's love affair with Mexico. Why, I thought, is the pope such a frequent visitor to this country? Is it because of the large number of Catholics in Mexico? Is it the warm reception he receives here? Is it the devotion of Mexican Catholics?
As a journalist, I have covered 10 trips by the so-called Traveling Pope -- El Papa Viajero -- and I have often asked myself, "Why is the pope so in love with Mexico?" Surely, the pontiff is aware of the large number of Mexican Catholics and their traditional loyalty to the church. He's also aware that in recent years that loyalty has been eroding, as many Catholics have converted to Protestant religions.
But something else draws the pope to Mexico. It's the story of a beautiful dark-skinned lady who is said to have appeared to a man named Juan Diego on a hillside near Mexico City 471 years ago, sparking the widespread conversion of Mexico's native population to Christianity.
Religious scholars and scientists have debated the story of Juan Diego and the Virgin of Guadalupe for many years. Skeptics say no apparition ever occurred. Some argue that Juan Diego never even existed. I am neither a religious scholar nor a scientist. But, as I stand outside this expansive basilica, I know one thing for sure: The spiritual power and symbolism of both Our Lady of Guadalupe and Juan Diego will always overshadow even the staunchest of critics.
The story of Our Lady of Guadalupe dates back to 1531. That year, a poor Aztec Indian named Juan Diego is said to have been making his way to a mass when he encountered the Virgin Mary. The story says the Virgin appeared on a hillside in Tepeyac, on the site where the Aztecs worshipped the goddess Tonantzin. Juan Diego, whose Indian name was Cuauhtlatoahtzin, heard voices singing hymns and saw vibrant colors in the sky.
The story goes on to say that the Virgin told Juan Diego to ask the bishop to build a church on that site. But the bishop did not believe him, and asked for further proof that the Virgin had really appeared. It wasn't until the fourth apparition that Juan Diego was able to bring proof of his story. From his cloak fell a bundle of roses, which did not grow in that region. On his garment was imprinted the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Juan Diego was beatified in May of 1990. A miracle -- needed for him to become a saint -- reportedly occurred the same week, when a young man attempted suicide by jumping out of a window. The injuries to his skull were such that doctors told his mother that only a miracle could save him. "Start praying to Juan Diego," she was told. She did just that. Miraculously, her son survived, and he now lives in Southern California. In 1998, the Vatican accepted the cure as a miracle, and Juan Diego was on his way to becoming the first indigenous person to become a saint.
Even if we do not believe in miracles, we must believe in the power of faith. For nearly 500 years, Mexicans have placed extraordinary faith in Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of the Americas. Now she will have company in St. Juan Diego, the simple man of unyielding faith, who will also watch over Mexico and the Americas. |
