La Virgen De Guadalupe Our Lady of Guadalupe

Juan Diego An early Indian convert to Catholicism. His native name was Cuahtlatoatzin, which could be translated as “one who talks like an eagle” or “eagle that talks” Between and 1525 he was converted and baptized, as well as his wife receiving the Christian name Juan Diego and his wife the name of Maria Lucia.

Apparition of the Virgen de Guadalupe On December 9, 1531 – Juan Diego was walking by the mount of Tepeyac. Which is where the Aztecs worshiped the mother of gods, Tonantzin. – He heard music and saw a young women outlined by a radiant glow. – She had indigenous features and clothes and spoke to him in Nahualt.

Apparition of the Virgen de Guadalupe She called him "Juanito, Juan Dieguito", "the most humble of my sons", "my son the least", "my little dear". She told him that she was the mother of the one great God, and asked him to tell the bishop of Mexico, Juan de Zamarraga, to build a chapel to her on the site where she appeared. Diego relayed the message to the bishop, but his story was not heard, and he was asked to return another day.

She appeared to Juan Diego a second time, and was asked to seek the bishop again. Juan Diego did see the bishop, his story was heard and questioned, but was not believed. The bishop wanted a sign (proof).

Juan Diego tried to go back to Tepeyac, but found that his uncle was extremely ill. The next morning, December 12, as he was going to Tlatelolco to call a priest to come to his uncle’s side, she appeared to him. – Juan Diego told her what was wrong. She told him not to worry about his uncle that he was not going to die. – She sent him to go cut fresh flowers from the top of the hill, and that he would take the flowers to the bishop as proof of her existence.

Diego followed the instructions, went to the hill and cut some roses. He went back to the virgen and then she arranged them in his cloak and sent him to the bishop.

When Diego unfolded his cloak in front of the bishop, the roses fell to the floor, and there on the cloak was the image of the Virgen de Guadalupe. Now the bishop believed and a church was built right on the mount of Tepeyac.

Description of Guadalupe’s Image Sun in the background Belt around her waist Moon at her feet

Significance of La Virgen de Guadalupe At the time of these events, only one decade after the Aztec Empire had fallen to Cortes, Spaniards had begun to convert people to Christianity. But during the first years of Spanish rule, missionaries who arrived to Mexico were having little success convincing the people to abandon their old gods and convert.

Significance of La Virgen de Guadalupe Diego’s story soon changed the missionaries fortunes. As the story spread, La Virgen de Guadalupe grew to be respected by the indigenous population because: – She had appeared wearing traditional indigenous dress and speaking the native language. These conversions possibly were aided by the fact that Diego’s description of the mother of God was strikingly similar to the way the Aztecs portrayed their goddess Tonantzin. She became the symbol of Indian Catholicism.

Tonantzin and La Virgen de Guadalupe Tonantzin was literally called our holy mother (indentified with the moon) Virgen de Guadalupe the mother of God. Guadalupe appeared at what was once the temple of Tonantzin in the mount of Tepeyac.

Controversy about the Story The story of the apparition of the Virgen de Guadalupe never happened, it was a story used just to convert indigenous into Christianity. Connecting indigenous religion with Christianity. Story used as a tool of conversion. Story is false – Bishop Juan de Zamarraga was not in Mexico during the event. – The current portrait of the Virgen is not the original.

Controversy about the image: The Mystery of her eyes 1929-Marcue Alfonso discovers an image of a man in the eyes of the Virgen de Guadalupe image. 1951, Jose Carlos Salinas Chavez, rediscovere the image of what appears to be a human bust in the right eye of the Virgen, and then in the left eye. In 1979, Jose Aste Tonsman- investigated the Virgen’s eyes and this is what he found:

13 People in both cornias: (in order of discovery) – A figure of an indigenous servent who is sitting down. – The image of an old man- bishop of Zarrmago – Another image of person with Spanish features- a translator to the bishop. – On the right corner is the image of an African slave women. (Maria) – All the images are looking at the same direction towards another image being that of Juan Diego. – In the pupils- an indigenous family ( a couple with several kids) – show the importance of family?

Patron Saint of Mexico Regardless of the controversies: – In 1745, the Vatican recognized Diego’s vision as a miracle. – Two new basilicas were later built, one in 1904 and the latest in 1976.

Las Basilicas de la Virgen de Guadalupe

Las Basilicas de La Virgen de Guadalupe