The
Collapse of the Portuguese Empire
The Consequences of Violation of
Divine Laws in Action
![Ruins of the Patriarchal Church of D. João V [1755]](img/RuinasIglesiaJoaoV-180.jpg)
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]
(4) "O Terrivel Terramoto
da Cidade Qu Foi Lisboa
- Corespondência do Núncio Filippo Acciaiuoli", prepared
by Arnaldo
Pinto Cardoso - October 2005 - Alêtheia Editores
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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