A note about Columbus Day

Today is Columbus Day.  I am reminded of when I was chaplain at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay.  I visited the place where Christopher Columbus landed.

Here is the landing place of Christopher Columbus on his second voyage in 1494.

Thank you, Christopher Columbus.

I walked in that place.  Amazing.

I didn’t have a real appreciation of Columbus until I met The Great Roman™ who had already forgotten more about Christopher Columbus than I, the American, had ever known.

No… he had NOT forgotten, because The Great Roman™ doesn’t forget.

Christopher Columbus was an amazing figure.

 

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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11 Comments

  1. teomatteo says:

    The way I celebrate Columbus Day is to head over to YouTube and pull up Bugs and Chris. “Whats-a-matta for Me, Whats-a-matta for YOU????!!!!

  2. Charles E Flynn says:

    Robert Royal, a frequent guest on Raymond Arroyo’s “The World Over” on EWTN, has revised his book about Christopher Columbus. There is a text interview with him at the Catholic World Report:

    The true Christopher Columbus and the crisis of the West
    by Father Seán Connolly Oct 11, 2020

  3. JustaSinner says:

    And Columbus is now a punching bag of the left as they’ve rewritten history…
    Kind of like the Spanish Inquisition. That was rewritten by Hollywood last century.

  4. iamlucky13 says:

    George Washington is also on the list to have his honors revoked. The biggest newspaper in our state, recently ran an article entertaining the idea that his ownership of slaves, a generation before our country addressed in particular the wrong of racial subjugation, should mean that we ignore his role in shaping our country’s history, and rename our state.

    Likewise for Columbus – for whatever his failings, his determination to seek a westward route to the Indies radically changed the course of world history. No doubt, someone else would have done the same within a few decades had he not, but that still likely would have significantly changed how things turned out, and there is no reason to expect the various conflicts and crimes that took place in the Americas during European settlement would not still have occurred.

    On the other hand, Columbus made a colossal blunder, and would have died on his 1st voyage and been forgotten had his assumption that there was a straight path to the Indies been correct. He ignored the calculations of the earth’s circumference that other Europeans had been making, accurately, all the way back to the 2nd century with Eratosthenes. He instead used the calculations of an Arabic astronomer, which also were accurate, but based on a different mile, and concluded the distance was far less than his peers had determined.

    However, we generally have not been in the habit of penalizing serendipity in our history, even when it arose from misguided premises. The voyages were bold regardless, and it is difficult to overstate the significance of them.

  5. JoanM says:

    rather I confirme thismorning that my husbanaranged the Mass for your birthday on Oct. 28th. Mass Intention the douls in purgatory vis Friends of the suffering souls

    [Thank you!]

  6. Rob in Maine says:

    Hey! The monument was an Eagle About Project, too!

  7. Rob in Maine says:

    Grrr.. Eagle Scout project.

  8. Josephus Corvus says:

    Can’t claim credit for this one, but….: Columbus brought much needed “diversity” to this land!

  9. hwriggles4 says:

    EWTN last night aired a 30 minute special about Christopher Columbus. I found it interesting. It’s probably available on the EWTN website for viewing.

  10. Sundown says:

    Fr Z., in your last will and testament,
    would you be so generous to add …
    P.S. the name of the Great Roman is ..[real name] ..
    so that history might give him his due. And our curiosities be satisfied.

  11. Semper Gumby says:

    God bless Christopher Columbus, he got here before the Commies.

    Charles E Flynn: Thanks for the info.

    JustaSinner: No one expects the Spanish Inquisition.

    The 400th Anniversary of the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock is coming up. No doubt witless thugs will run wild in the streets to topple…rocks.

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