Beyond Controversy: Lessons from Christopher Columbus
Grace and peace be yours from God our Father and from our Lord jesus Christ.
Next Monday marks Columbus Day, a fall holiday honoring the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus. While the holiday is met with increasing scrutiny, with some viewing it as a glossing over of the violent history of colonization in the Western Hemisphere and Columbus’s actions, including the enslavement of Native Americans, a deeper look reveals much to learn from his life and voyages.
Columbus distinguished himself from many sailors of his era through his personal piety. Accounts from his voyages detail a shipboard surroundings steeped in religious observance. Crew members consistently marked time with a prayer: “Blessed be the hour of our Savior’s birth / blessed be the Virgin Mary who bore him / and blessed be John who baptized him” – recited each time the ship’s half-hourglass was turned. Each day concluded with the singing of vespers, though reportedly not always harmoniously.
It wasn’t until his third voyage in 1498 that Columbus made landfall on the American mainland. Upon observing four rivers emanating from the land, he interpreted the landscape as the biblical Garden of Eden. He passed away in 1506, still believing he had reached the outskirts of Asia, unaware of the vast distance separating him from his intended destination.
Throughout history, advocates – particularly Irish and French Catholics – have championed Columbus for canonization, citing his role in “bringing the Christian faith to half the world.” Pope Pius IX, reigning from 1846 to 1878, supported the effort. Though, despite this papal approval, Columbus was never officially recognized as a saint. Obstacles included the fact that he fathered an illegitimate child, and crucially, a lack of documented evidence of a miracle attributed to his intercession.
On Monday, Cardinal Dolan will lead a Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral at 9:30 a.m. in observance of Columbus Day. This will be followed by the annual Columbus Day parade, running from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. All are welcome to participate or simply extend a greeting if in the area.
