The Collapse of the Portuguese Empire
The Consequences of Violation of Divine Laws in Action
The Consequences of Violation of Divine Laws in Action
PURPOSE
The purpose of this brief document is to illustrate, once again, that the reality of the consequences of repeated violations of Divine Law —which is commonly called Divine Justice— is something that should not be taken lightly.
In addition, it will reveal what was truly behind the collapse of the mighty Portuguese Empire in the 18th century. An Empire where the Sun never set.
miguel de Portugal often wondered what triggered such collapse; a collapse which brought Portugal down to almost a Third World country. In this document we will identify the spiritual trigger which placed in motion the Divine Justice which was expressed through a series of earthquakes, tsunami and fires that practically erased the Imperial Capital of the Portuguese Empire, Lisbon, from the face of the Earth while destroying the morale of the Portuguese people.
INTRODUCTION
Theologically, as well as statistically speaking, not believing in God does not exempt the unbeliever from the consequences of Divine Justice. Neither does "paying lip service" (1) to God.
Although His methodology may escape average human comprehension, when it is viewed through the glasses of His plan for Creation and the role He gave the humans created in His Image, all begins to make supernatural sense.
To the point: There is a 1986 movie —"The Mission" (2)— about which we knew nothing —neither name nor fame— even though it was highly acclaimed in the US and Europe winning several major awards. Providence had it that we stumble upon it and view it.
DETAILS
The movie, in general terms, was about...
...the Jesuit Reductions, a program by which Jesuit missionaries set up missions independent of the Spanish state to teach Christianity to the natives. It tells the story of a Spanish Jesuit priest, Father Gabriel, who in the mid 18th century enters the South American jungle to build a mission and convert a community of Guaraní Indians to Christianity.
Unfortunately, the political views in Spain and Portugal begin to shift, and the two countries signed a treaty in 1750 in which Spain will surrender some land to Portugal for conquest and civilization by the Portuguese colonials, who seek to enslave the Guaraní and other tribes. However, because the Jesuit missions might impede this new plan, the emissary of Pope Benedict XIV, Cardinal Altamirano, is sent to survey the missions and decide which, if any, to allow.
Under tremendous pressure from both the plantation owners and the politicians of Portugal, Cardinal Altamirano is forced to choose between the lesser of two evils..... Altamirano laments having to "prune such a... beautiful and vibrant limb" "in order that the whole (of the Jesuit order worldwide) may be saved". He passes down an official policy decision that Father Gabriel's mission must be closed. The plantation owners and colonists begin to plan their first raid on the Guarani's and the mission.
The Guaraní converts, who professed such strong Faith that would make all Christians of Europe look like atheists by comparison, refused to return to the jungle where "the devil resides". Since the brain behind this tug-of-war to make the Guaraní indians again available as "slave meat" was the Marquis of Pombal —the Portuguese who pulled the strings of the Portuguese King— the Portuguese did not waste time to come in and begin to massacre those souls who had given themselves to Jesus and Mary without reservation.
This took place in the year 1755. Remember this year!
At the time —although Portugal's rulers had become what most monarchs have proven to be - social parasites (just as God warned the Israelites through Samuel [1 Kings 8])— Portugal, a tiny nation, had a worldwide empire to be reckoned with. The Sun indeed never set in the Portuguese Empire.
Let us now see how the above ties with message the that we are attempting to convey...
We could never understand how that Imperial and Mighty Portugal had declined to the point it was when it joined the European Union: A notch below a third world country — by their own reckoning.
It was until the 250th Anniversary of the earthquake that practically erased the Imperial Capital of the Portuguese Empire, Lisbon, from the face of the Earth that we understood the reason behind the decline. Several major earthquakes (3) with replicas which lasted months, the ensuing tsunamis that were followed by raging fires initiated the the collapse of the mighty Portuguese Empire.
To mark the anniversary of such event —an event perhaps only matched by combining the destruction of the hurricane striking Galveston, TX (1900) and that of the earthquake devastating San Francisco, CA (1906)— a book was published (4) containing most of the letters from the Ambassador of the Vatican in Lisbon (Apostolic Nuncio) and the Patriarch of Lisbon to the Pope and to the Vatican Secretary of Sate giving them an almost day to day report on what was happening in Lisbon.
Those letters revealed that, by then, the Portuguese Empire was only sustained by what had become a myth: What the Portuguese thought to be an almighty King and the unconditional Divine Protection of God could no longer be counted on.
The King and his court and the Roman Pontiff and his court were rendered powerless by the situation at hand. If a priest dared to state that what happened to Portugal was the result of the decadence that the ruling and ecclesiastical classes had attained, he risked his life.
What happened to the morale and self assurance of the Portuguese as the result of said earthquake was worse than what happened to the city of Lisbon; a "something" that still permeates the whole country today!
Getting back to the situation facing the Guaraní natives...
What triggered the beginning of the massacre of those new and totally devoted children of God —the Guaraní natives— by the Portuguese was Cardinal Altamirano's decision to "prune such a... beautiful and vibrant limb" "in order that the whole (of the Jesuit order worldwide) may be saved". Once again, the Roman Catholic Church Hiearchy turns its back on the weak to satisfy the powerful — in this case the Marquis of Pombal.
CONCLUSION
Oh, yes... The complete destruction of the Portuguese Empire commenced shortly after their soldiers began the indiscriminate slaughter of those trusting new children of God — the Guaraní natives. The first earthquake hit Lisbon on November 1st, 1755 — on All Saints Day to better underscore the message... a message which, as it is usual amongst humans, was missed by most.
EPILOGUE
The Marquis of Pombal's residence in Lisbon was one of the very few structures that remained standing and, just as Hitler interpreted surviving the last attempt against his life as a sign from God to continue with the destruction of Europe, Pombal saw this "sign" as an encouragement from Heaven to continue his efforts to destroy the Portuguese Jesuits and their Missions in South America. The "Catholic" Portuguese King Don Jose I "rolled over", one more time and let Pombal do as he pleased.
This tragic event gave birth to what now is known as Liberation Theology.
May those who have Ears, Hear and those who have Eyes, See for history, as we have clearly shown (5) , repeats itself with a vengeance.
NOTES
(1) "paying lip service" - to express loyalty, respect, or support for someone or something
insincerely. [Matthew 7: 21-23]
(2) The Mission - the
movie ||
Jesuit missions
among the Guaraní
(4) "O Terrivel Terramoto da Cidade Qu Foi Lisboa - Corespondência do Núncio Filippo
Acciaiuoli", prepared by Arnaldo Pinto Cardoso - October 2005 - Alêtheia Editores
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En Español: El colapso del Imperio Portugués - Una perfecta ilustración de las consecuencias de violar las Leyes Divinas
Em Português: O Colapso do Império Português - Uma ilustração perfeita das consequências de violar as Leis de Deus
Published on May 13, 2009 - [Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament + First Apparition of Our Lady at Fátima]
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