A Sacred and Praiseworthy Purpose - email missive from Toypurina Carac

Dear Family, Friends and Supporters,

The intent of this petition is to persuade Pope Francis to immediately abandon the canonization of Serra and rescind the Doctrine of Discovery.

We don't want an apology or "mass of reconciliation."  Rather,  we want acknowledgement of the truth of what Serra did to our ancestors and justice for our ancestors.

The canonization of the Inquisitor Serra celebrates the slavery he initiated, rape he condoned and ultimate genocide of our ancestors.

We do not ask for an alternate saint. It has been said that justice has no time limit. Now is the time for justice to be delivered to our ancestors.

The celebration of Serra and  Native genocide is in direct conflict with the Pope's rhetoric.

We want accountability for the actions of Serra and his agents; not an excuse or interpretation of his exploitation and dominations masked as "evangelism."

The excerpt from the article below was published week in Indian Country Today, by our good friend, Steven Newcomb, author of Pagans in the Promised Land. 

 If you wish to use his words in anyway, please cite Steven Newcomb as the source of the quotes.

"This September, Pope Francis is coming to Great Turtle Island (“North America”). Francis is the successor of Pope Alexander VI, who issued a number of papal edicts in 1493, documents that provide a historical context for Pope Francis’ visit to the territory of the Piskataway Nation (Washington, D.C.), and then to the territory of the Lenape Nation (New York City and Philadelphia).

Pope Francis is expected to finalize sainthood for the eighteenth century Franciscan Missionary Junipero Serra, whom Pope Francis has called “the Evangelizer of the West.”

When he finalizes canonization for Serra, Pope Francis will thereby give a gloss of sanctity to what his predecessor, Pope Alexander VI, called in his edicts “the propagation of the Christian empire,” and “a sacred and praiseworthy purpose in the Lord,” which was to subjugate, subject and reduce non-Christian lands and islands, and their inhabitants to the Catholic faith.

A couple of sentences in the book The Documents of Vatican II, published in 1966 (New York: Guild Press), provide some possible insight into how the Holy See is likely to view Pope Alexander VI’s call for Catholic and Christian empire and domination. 

In The Documents of Vatican II we find the statement, “Christ and the Church…transcend every particularity of race or nation.” They, therefore, “cannot be considered foreign anywhere or to anybody” (p. 594).

This is an elaboration of something Pope John XXIII stated in his “Mater et Magistra”: “By divine right the Church belongs to all nations. . .since she has, as it were, transfused her en[e]rgy [sic] into the veins of a people, she neither is nor considers herself an institution imposed on that people from without” (pp. 594-95).

According to the above line of thought, the Catholic Church would prefer that we not interpret Alexander VI’s desire for the Christian Empire (“imperii Christiani” ) to be “propagated,” by subjugating non- Christian nations, to be a foreign imposition of the Catholic faith and Christian religion on other nations. 

Why? Simple.

The Church sees itself as having successfully “transfused her energy into the veins” of those nations and peoples. 

When we read papal decrees which call for foreign non-Christian nations to be “subdued” and “reduced” as a way of “leading” them to what Alexander VI calls “a profession of the Catholic faith,” none of this, according to Vatican II, and according to the above sentence from Mater et Magistra, should be construed as an example of the Catholic Church being imposed “from without” on non-Christian nations and peoples.

In the papal decree Inter Caetera, dated May 3, 1493, Pope Alexander VI engages in an act of what he calls “apostolic power”:

He concedes to Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand “the means whereby you may be enabled to prosecute a purpose so sacred and praiseworthy.. .”(emphasis added). What is that “sacred and praiseworthy” purpose?

The monarchs, says pope Alexander, “have purposed [proposed] to subdue [conquer and dominate],”  “and reduce to the Catholic faith,”  “the foresaid lands and islands” along with “their natives and inhabitants,” which Columbus had located, as well as those lands yet to be located in the future. Later, the pope earnestly praises (“commends”) “this…your sacred and praiseworthy purpose in the Lord.”

Pope Alexander VI continues with a concession to Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand:  “And in order that you may undertake the assignment of so great a task, generously endowed with the Apostolic favor. . . we. . .give, concede, and assign the aforesaid lands and islands in general”. . . which are not [but should be] established under the actual temporal sovereignty [“dominio,” domination] of any Christian Sovereigns [“dominorum Christianorum,” Christian dominators ].” 

The pope says that it is “by the authority of the omnipotent God granted to us in Saint Peter and the victoriate of Jesus Christ which we are exercising on earth. . .” that he is making his concession to the monarchs to subdue, subject, and reduce the Indians to the Catholic faith.

How do Pope Alexander VI’s concessions to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand apply to Pope Francis’ decision to canonize or bestow sainthood on Junipero Serra? 

Given Pope Alexander VI’s desire that non-Christian nations be subdued and reduced to the Catholic faith, it makes sense from the viewpoint of the Catholic Church that Friar Serra is deemed to deserve sainthood. Why?

Because Serra diligently carried forth into Alta California “sacred and praiseworthy” efforts to subdue and reduce the Indian nations of California by means of what Serra called “these spiritual conquests,” i.e., evangelisms. 

The death and destruction inflicted on the original nations of California and elsewhere throughout the hemisphere is merely a form of collateral damage that occurred in the process of propagating Christian empire.

In June, 1771 letter, Serra expressed “hope” that “we will see, before long, new and immense territories gathered into the bosom of our Holy Mother the Church, and subjected to the Crown of Spain.” (emphasis added) (Writings of Junipero SerraI, ed., Antonine Tibesar, O. F. M., Vol. I, Washington, D.C.: Academy of American Franciscan History, p. 209). 

In Serra’s original Spanish version of the letter, we find the word “dominios” (plural), which is also found in the papal bull Inter Caetera of May 3, 1493. Some two hundred and seventy eight years prior to Serra’s letter, Pope Alexander VI used the term “dominio” when he referred to lands “sub actuali dominio temporali aliquorum dominorum Christianorum constitute non sint” (lands that are “not yet but should be established under the actual temporal domination of a Christian dominator”). 

Such an “establishment of actual temporal “dominio” was to be achieved by the lands and Native peoples being “subjected” or undergoing a process of “subjection” and domination.

Legal philosopher Steven Winter points out that context and purpose are innate features of categories, and must therefore be taken into account when it comes to their interpretation. 

This is true whether we are interpreting symbols or written texts in the form of legal decisions, papal decrees, or the life and letters of a Franciscan Friar. The viewpoint of the one doing the interpreting is an additional factor. 

The office of the Holy See, now occupied by Pope Francis, is interpreting the “meaning” of Serra’s life in keeping with a “sacred” context and purpose of “evangelism” and “new evangelism.”

The Holy See is in denial. 

It is not interpreting Serra’s life in association with Pope Alexander VI’s expressed desire “to subjugate barbarous nations,” and to spread the Christian empire by the expansion of Spanish Catholic domination. 

The Holy See is carefully avoiding its own “sacred and praiseworthy” purpose of dominio and “dominorum Christianorum,” by means of the subjection of the original nations of the continent. 

It does not want to acknowledge that the consequence of the edicts of the Holy See of the fifteenth century was death, destruction, and dehumanization for original nations and peoples of Baja and Alta California, and elsewhere throughout the western hemisphere. 

By holding fast to such denial, the Holy See will no doubt continue to associate sanctity and sainthood with the mission system of domination (“dominio”) advanced by Junipero Serra."

Steven Newcomb (Shawnee, Lenape) is co-founder and co-director of the Indigenous Law Institute, and author of Pagans in the Promised Land: Decoding the Doctrine of Christian Discovery (Fulcrum, 2008). 

He is a Producer of the documentary movie,The Doctrine of Discovery: Unmasking the Domination Code, directed and produced by Sheldon Wolfchild (Dakota), with narration by Buffy Sainte-Marie (Cree).

Several important articles were published this past week. The Church keeps ignoring the Inquisition and Doctrine of Discovery and presenting a fairy tale interpretation of what really happened to our ancestors. 

We continue to tell the truth.  This isn't over yet. 

We are very close to 9,000 signatures on the petition; need at least 10,000 names. 

Thank you for your support. 

In Solidarity,
Toypurina

http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/urge-pope-francis-to?mailing_id=30758&source=s.icn.em.cr&r_by=13040488 
 

My comment on Wall Street Journal's blog post yesterday."Corruption Allegations Look Set to Disrupt Narendra Modi’s Agenda". I await its publication.

I notice that I am the first to comment.

No surprise, given that the Indian state appears to be staring into the abyss of illegitimacy, that her doltish and corrupt ruling classes have driven her into.

Anybody with even an iota of constitutional sense would have realised by now that the NDA campaign was fuelled by lies.

That India's political system has abused the amenities of a republic to such extreme dysfunction that people can do no more than roll their eyes and change the subject.

Narendra  Modi came to power promising good governance.

Good governance sans legitimacy? Good governance where satraps suspected of stunning venality and heinous crimes bulldoze a rotted and delegitimized  ‘opposition’ ?

Scary!

Since the last couple of years, I have intimated the Rashtrapathi, Prime Minister's Office and the Supreme Court of India about a corrupt judge in the Supreme Court.  http://goo.gl/uDFdr   http://goo.gl/WNw1e 

 

Little has happened  !

Corruption is a well organised conspiracy of silence. Whistleblowers risk their lives. Many are killed.

For close to three decades I have, as an unsupported, conscientious citizen written about, demonstrated and organised against corruption.

Oddly, India's editorial classes have been most prominent among those who have disparaged and muffled my efforts.

Emboldened by the corruption of the Press, the Judiciary, Rashtrapathi Bhavan, the Prime Minister's Office the Chief Information Commissioner and State Information Commissioner have all actively and maliciously conspired to violate my rights, humiliate and hound me.

The Government  and judiciary have dodged my various Right To Information petitions.

A massive, close to three decade long demonstration of the miredness, impotence and destructiveness of India's powers that be.

A former Governor , who I had petitioned for help, turned around and instigated my Apartments' Association to cut off my water supply.

Since April 5 2002, I have had to physically fetch water for my flat every other day .

Prasar Bharathi abused a stretched judiciary by pursuing a silly, motivated litigation that it has continued for decades.

In other words, it is impossible to earn an honest living in India today.

Riches beyond the dreams of avarice, such as for instance, showered on the players and hustlers of cricket, await those willing to violate India's trust.

My "no excuses", ultra peaceful, non partisan, individual sathyagraha against corruption and for the idea of the rule of law in India.  httphttp://goo.gl/qZup7   http://bit.ly/orCEMV

Now in its 25th year.

You failed once and you are failing again. My letter to Shri Bandaru Dattatreya Garu. He has not replied.

Shri Bandaru Dattatreya,

Minister of State (Independent Charge) 

for Labour & Employment

Government of India.                                                                                                        11/18/14

Dear Shri Dattatreya Garu,

I am delighted to convey my heartiest congratulations to you on your well deserved elevation to the Union cabinet.

I have no doubt that with your deep experience and grass roots political reach you would be a valuable asset to the Hon'ble Prime Minister's team .

There is a clear consensus that the massive mandate for the present government is because the people of India and the world at large are exasperated by the huge delays, damage and injustices caused by rampant and pervasive corruption of India's political economy.

During the previous NDA regime, our then AP contingent, including Shri Ch Vidyasagara Rao Garu, Late Shri Bangaru Laxman Garu and your kind self had valiantly tried to ensure that I received a modicum of justice for the gratuitous harassment at the hands of Doordarshan, because of my resistance to, by now well documented, corrupt mores of the Doorsdarshan management.

You had been kind enough to convey me to the late Shri Pramod Mahajan's official residence in your official car and introduce me to him, but he chose to snub all of us.

In other words,while the efforts of the Andhra Pradesh contingent of BJP on my behalf, were undoubtedly, sincere, gracious, memorable and exemplary, they failed.

You failed not because you were wrong, but because you were absolutely and unequivocally right.

You were defeated by forces that were immensely more powerful than you.

Those "Shining India" forces were in turn, decisively repudiated by the people of India and by other circumstances.

I was, unfortunately, in contrast to the earlier enthusiasm,  left to wage a lonely battle , against the prevalent idea that "corruption is a way of life" in India.

And I did that. 

Corruption is a conspiracy of silence.

I have been among the very few Indians, who have written, demonstrated and campaigned against my horrendous mistreatment by Doodrdarshan and all the other authorities in India, the Press, the judiciary, and thus non cooperated against corruption.

You, Shri Vidysagar Rao Garu and others are personally aware that I have had to pay a massive price for my sane, loving, autonomous but lonely stand against corruption.

It is a reflection of the horrifyingly perverse conditions prevailing in our beloved country, that I have been humiliated to the extent of having my water supply cut , encouraged by none other than the Governor of AP's office, since 2002 !

Much has changed since then. The people of India have demonstrated their revulsion against corruption in many ways. 

I hardly need to point out that the mandate that you have received dictates, that the prompt and just resolution of my case, ought to be at the top of your agenda.

You'll recall that in our last meeting a couple of weeks ago in Hyderabad, you  had, despite being aware of my presence, made me cool my heels for hours.

Most unfortunate and quite a contrast to the Dattatreya Garu that I had known .

Finally,you had instructed your assistant, that a proper appointment be fixed -  I had even then, come only with the prior consent of your assistants - in order that we are able to resolve the issues that have been pending since your previous tenure in Delhi.

Alas, I have not heard from you since.

I hope I have been able to clarify the situation as it exists today.

I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

With warm regards, I am,

yours sincerely,

Divakar S Natarajan

Urge Pope Francis to abandon the canonization of Junipero Serra.

I signed a petition initiated by the The California Indian Environmental Alliance with the following statement:

I am a Hindu Indian.

A member of a non white, non Abrahamic, Dharmic civilisation that has made immeasurably rich contributions to guide and inspire humanity.

However, it has also suffered immensely from mercenary and racist invasions, enslavement, loot and pillaging for which both Islam and Christianity have provided religious cover.

Noteworthy, that these actions of unspeakable insanity were rationalised by the vandals as civilising missions.

Even as they looted and attempted to destroy a magnificent civilisation, they presented themselves as saviours.

Indians were in the words of a popular writer of his time, "The White Man's Burden".

As a survivor of successive holocausts of invasion and colonialism, I have a solemn moral obligation, to my wise and heroic ancestors and to our beloved children, to ensure that such horrors would never engulf humanity again.

Alas, the powerful Roman Catholic Church with its immense illegitimate wealth, its multi national organisation and its mesmerising religious cachet appears to suffer no such scruples.

Motivated by a shockingly myopic, parochial and divisive political intent and displaying a most disturbing madness, it seeks to abuse its immense power by brushing aside and trampling over the dignity and humanity of those valiant and vital few who have survived its depredations.

What an obscene picture !

This corrupt and ugly behemoth that has in one stroke revived memories of some of the most vicious cruelties of White Christian Supremacist savagery.

The Vatican cannot by any enlightened standard of ethics and morality be allowed to prevail.

All conscientious citizens must consider this savage obduracy of this putatively religious organisation as a personal affront to their dignity and to the safety, sanity and fearless, loving essence of their children.

They must do everything in their power to stop this brutality in its tracks and show Vatican a way out of its noisome mental cloisters.

Junipero Serra belongs in a dark and forgettable dustbin of history. And there he must be allowed to lie.

He has little to offer the future.

The following is an invitation to you to sign the petition.

Hi, 

As Native Californians, descendants of Mission Indians, we ask Pope Francis to abandon his plan to declare Junipero Serra a Saint. Pope Francis has indicated that he "Values Human Life" yet our people were suppressed, dominated and enslaved by Serra and considered collateral damage to the Church. This plan will not celebrate Hispanics (since Serra and his Soldiers were foreign invaders), welcome Native Peoples back to the Catholic Church, or honor our ancestors. It will re-awaken the post Inquisition, Doctrine of Discovery; a very dark, and brutal time in the history of the Catholic Church and Civilization. 

The passage of time has not made the reality of dominations and genocide of Indigenous Californians go away, nor has it made the Mastermind of the brutal Mission system a Saint. We respectfully ask you to urge the Pope to vacate this plan and open a meaningful dialogue with California Nations. We do not want an apology, rather, we need tangible policies from the Church to abandon the Papal Bulls the Doctrine of Discovery and to recognize the inhumane treatment of our ancestors. Abandoning the canonization of Junipero Serra is the first step. 

That's why I signed a petition to His Holiness, Pope Francis, which says:

"Pope Francis is coming to Washington, D.C., to canonize Junipero Serra as a Saint. It is imperative he is enlightened to understand that Father Serra was responsible for the deception, exploitation, oppression, enslavement and genocide of thousands of Indigenous Californians, ultimately resulting in the largest ethnic cleansing in North America. 

The reality of the California Mission system has yet to be accurately taught in California schools or recognized by the Catholic Church. Elementary school children tour mission grounds and are taught that native people were "docile and child-like savage pagans, saved by the kind and benevolent padres". In reality, the human remains of thousands of indigenous people are scattered beneath the grounds of the Missions that were built by Indian slaves as garrisons for the church and Spanish crown. Indigenous people died of rape, beatings and diseases introduced by the Spanish conquistadors in California. Spanish Priests did little to recognize indigenous people as humans and did not come to their rescue when women were raped by soldiers and settlers. With an over 90% indigenous mortality rate, Serra hardly "saved many souls". 

" 

Will you sign the petition too? Click here to add your name: 

http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/urge-pope-francis-to?source=s.fwd&r_by=13040488 

Thanks! 

My comment on Roger Cohen's brazen PLUS defense that the New York Times would not accept.

I must have submitted the following comment about twenty times yesterday.

Usually the good moderators at the NYT are subtle. They put my comment into the cooler and let it out when they think  the traffic has waned  and nobody's around.

But this time, it was returned with a "Technical problems, try later."

Here it is. 

I have put in a little more than the prescribed 1500 characters, because my blog, thank heavens, does not have any issues with me.

I am astounded by Mr Cohen's gushing sentimental defense and unabashedly one sided, "politically incorrect" lament for someone  he describes as an " an honorable, talented, crusading journalist. "

Such hogwash in the face of damning evidence.

Why had these champions of  the rule of law and gender justice neglected to constitute a Visakha committee ?

It is that critical act of arrogant omission that revealed the entire Tehelka enterprise as a grotesque farce.

Cohen accuses the BJP government  of " respond (ing) with rare zeal smacking of political vendetta " but in the interest of balance he ought also to have referred to Tejpal's craven, nauseating missive to Sonia Gandhi.

Tejpal was no I F Stone, pursuing journalism as a vocation and independently 'crusading' for the public good.

The Tejpal groupies were only the front desk. Tejpal appears to have had friends in all sorts of  places. Tehelka became only one of his variegated money spinning enterprises. 

And they all catered to the plummy set. 

Oddly enough, for somebody who got his second wind as a wielder of spy-cams, in his latest and most ballyhooed venture, he sought to sell "intimacy" to a chosen few.

To prop up his fallen idols, Mr Cohen has sanitized the crime scene.

"An unconscionable and criminal act may well have occurred on that elevator."

Yes.

And Mr Cohen's repine like those of Mr Tejpal/Chaudhury's water bearing "friends" are unconvincing to the point of being a nuisance.

You want hounded, Mr Cohen ? I'll give you hounded.

My 24yrs continuing sathyagraha Vs corruption in India

When several judges misbehaved . Kingpin serving in SC

India is a very big country, Mr Cohen  and it has a lot of people.

A lot more than your "liberal" "politically incorrect' buddies in Lutyens' Delhi.

India is a very dangerous place for real journalists, Mr Cohen.

You do them all a singular disservice.

You ought to be ashamed.

The Wall Street Journal Finds the language of my comment objectionable. Huh ?

Mr Henninger's heart is probably in the right place - who's isn't - but his perspective is musty and cockeyed.

In this day and age, one doesn't have to jump to Africa, the moment one thinks of corruption and poverty.

There is plenty of both in the West.

The way, I read the evidence it is the  force of Western greed and moral idiocy - The Price of Offshore Revisited and Inequality Underestimated  - that has straitjacketed the rest of the world to conform just to survive.

Corruption is not just about handing out little keychains come festival time.

The forces of corruption, as anybody familiar with the work of Mario Puzo or Francis Ford Coppola will tell you, make a "reasonable" offer that may not be refused.

They say,"Take my money, or I'll have your life."

Your hosannah to the Pope - This pope, with every waking hour, cares about the shafting of the world's poor- may have warmed some powerful, old hearts, but the Pope is not the only messiah in waiting.

My own "no excuses", ultra peaceful, non partisan, individual sathyagraha against corruption and for the idea of the rule of law in India, now in its 23nd year, has seen Presidents, Prime Ministers and Popes come and go.

Your readers may want to acquaint themselves with my sathyagraha here. 1. Excellence Vs Perversity  2. The Handclap That Triggered The Avalanche

Can't say for sure, but I get a feeling you, Shri Henninger, may already be acquainted with my thoughts.

I know the tenacity and passion with which my grandfather, the late Shri T S Swaminathan, MA, FIA, FCII
resisted corruption. The Prithvi connection

He too was isolated and almost broken till his massive, versatile abilities saw him rehabilitate himself. He was professionally active till well into his nineties.

In India, one often hears of a courageous citizen, usually an "RTI activist" or officer of the government who has been butchered or put to crushing travails by the forces of corruption.

Chinua Achebe was a tireless campaigner against the abuse of power in Nigeria. I would be interested to know whether he has ever inspired the WSJ to rapture ?

The abuse of power and predatoriness is universal and pervasive, thanks to the insouciance of the West.

Till it hatches out of its narcissistic shell and gets real, I find it difficult to see any hope for the survival of the planet.

That was my reply to Daniel Henninger's latest column  Capitalism's Corruptions . 

Obviously, I had invested precious time on the exercise. Imagine my surprise when my comment was rejected with this admonition.

Huh ? 

Case closed. The marvelous moderators at WSJ appear to have seen the reason in my bafflement and have published my comment. Now, when are you sending your reporter, Editor saa'ab ?