Columbus’ Christian Character and Divine Mission

4. Columbus’ Christian Character and Divine
Mission
Excerpts from The Journal of
Columbus’ First Voyage
In recent years many attacks have
been leveled against Christopher Co-
lumbus, and western civilization in
general. The target of the attacks of
many is not so much against Columbus
as it is against Christianity, which is the
source of the values of western civiliza-
tion. We see in these attacks an assault
of the humanistic worldview against a
Christian worldview.
To properly understand Columbus
and others involved in the dis-
covery and colonization of the
Americas, we must view them
in light of the world in which
they lived. While Columbus
had many shortcomings, his
motives were most certainly
Christian. Washington Irving
writes of Christopher Colum-
bus:
He was devoutly pious:
religion mingled with the
whole course of his thoughts
and actions, and shone forth
in his most private and
unstudied writings.
Whenever he made any great
discovery, he celebrated it by
solemn thanks to God. The
voice of prayer and melody
of praise rose from his ships
when they first beheld the
New World, and his first
action on landing was to
prostrate himself upon the
earth and return
thanksgivings. Every
evening the Salve Regina
and other vesper hymns were
chanted by his crew, and
masses were performed in
the beautiful groves
bordering the wild shores of this
heathen land. All his great
enterprises were undertaken in the
name of the Holy Trinity, and he
partook of the communion
previous to embarkation. He was a
firm believer in the efficacy of
vows and penances and
pilgrimages, and resorted to them
in times of difficulty and danger.
The religion thus deeply seated in
his soul diffused a sober dignity
and benign composure over his
whole demeanor. His language
was pure and guarded, and free
from all imprecations, oaths and
other irreverent expressions.
[The Life and Voyages of Christopher
Columbus, Washington Irving, New York:
Belford Company, n.d., pp, 632-633.]
Journal of First Voyage of
Columbus
Columbus’ actual journals have
been lost, but two of his companions,
his son Ferdinand and Bartolome Las
Casas, recorded abstracts of the
original journal. At places they quote
Columbus and in other places they
summarize his journals. The following
journal excerpts and quotes of Colum-
bus are from the work of Las Casas,
printed by Albert and Charles Boni,
New York, 1924.
Writings in Columbus’ journal re-
veal his primary motive for sailing was
his Christian convictions. He had a de-
sire to preach the gospel throughout the
nations, and in particular to take Chris-
tianity to the Great Khan of eastern
Asia. About 200 years before
Columbus’ voyage, Marco
Polo, who had traveled
throughout parts of Asia,
brought word from the Khan of
a desire for missionaries to be
sent to his empire. Other Khans
who had ruled since Polo’s
time had also made this re-
quest. Columbus had studied
the writings of Marco Polo’s
travels and was also familiar
with more recent requests for
missionaries to be sent to teach
the Christian religion.
*   *   *   *   *
He opens his journal of
his first voyage with the fol-
lowing [the italized para-
graphs are the comments of
the editor]:
“In the Name of Our
Lord Jesus Christ
“Whereas, Most Chris-
tian, High, Excellent and
Powerful Princes, King and
Queen of Spain and of the
Islands of the Sea, our Sov-
ereigns, this present year
1492, after your Highnesses
had terminated the war with the
Moors reigning in Europe, the same
having been brought to an end in
the great city of Granada, where on
the second day of January, this
America’s Providential History, a Documentary Sourcebook Page 7
“The object and Sum of the present undertaking has
been the increase and glory of the Christian religion.”
Christopher Columbus, in his journal of the first
voyage, Tuesday, Nov. 27th, 1492
present year, I saw the royal ban-
ners of your Highnesses planted by
force of arms upon the towers of
the Alhambra, which is the fortress
of that city, and saw the Moorish
king come out at the gate of the city
and kiss the hands of your
Highnesses, and of the Prince my
Sovereign;1 and in the present
month, in consequence of the infor-
mation which I had given your
Highnesses respecting the countries
of India and of a Prince, called
Great Can, which in our language
signifies King of Kings, how at
many tunes he, and his
predecessors had sent
to Rome soliciting in-
structors who might
teach him our holy
faith, and the holy Fa-
ther had never granted
his request, whereby
great numbers of peo-
ple were lost, believing
in idolatry and doc-
trines of perdition.
Your Highnesses, as
Catholic Christians,
and princes who love
and promote the holy
Christian faith, and are
enemies of the doc-
trine of Mahomet, and
of all idolatry and her-
esy, determined to send me, Chris-
topher Columbus, to the
above-mentioned countries of India,
to see the said princes, people, and
territories, and to learn their dispo-
sition and the proper method of
converting them to our holy faith;
and furthermore directed that I
should not proceed by land to the
East, as is customary, but by a
Westerly route, in which direction
we have hitherto no certain evi-
dence that anyone has gone. . . .”
After reaching land, which he
thought were islands off the east
coast of Asia (or India), Columbus
saw many natives, whom he called
Indians. He spoke often of his desire
to convert them to Christianity.
Friday, Oct. 12th. . . . “As I saw
that they were very friendly to us,
and perceived that they could be
much more easily converted to our
holy faith by gentle means than by
force, I presented them with some
red caps, and strings of beads to
wear upon the neck, and many
other trifles of small value, where-
with they were much delighted, and
became wonderfully attached to
us. . . . I am of opinion that they
would very readily become Chris-
tians, as they appear to have no reli-
gion.”
Tuesday, Oct. 16th. . . . “They
have no religion, and I believe that
they would very readily become
Christians, as they have a good un-
derstanding.”
Tuesday, Nov. 6th. . . . “I have
no doubt, most serene Princes,”
says the Admiral, “that were proper
devout and religious persons to
come among them and learn their
language, it would be an easy mat-
ter to convert them all to Christian-
ity, and I hope in our Lord that your
Highnesses will devote yourselves
with much diligence to this object,
and bring into the church so many
multitudes, inasmuch as you have
exterminated those who refused to
confess the Father, Son and Holy
Ghost,2 so that having ended your
days (as we are all mortal) you may
leave your dominions in a tranquil
condition, free from heresy and
wickedness, and meet with a fa-
vourable reception before the eter-
nal Creator, whom may it please to
grant you a long life and great in-
crease of kingdoms and dominions,
with the will and disposition to pro-
mote, as you always have done, the
holy Christian religion, Amen.”
Monday, Nov. 12th. . . . “Your
Highnesses should therefore adopt
the resolution of converting them to
Christianity, in which
enterprise I am of opin-
ion that a very short
space of time would
suffice to gain to our
holy faith multitudes of
people. . .”
Tuesday, Nov.
27th . . . “The language
of this people neither I
nor any of my com-
pany understand, and
we are perpetually
making mistakes in our
conversation with one
another. . . . Hence-
forth, with the permis-
sion of our Lord, I
shall use my exertions,
and have the language
taught to some of our people, for I
perceive that thus for the dialect is
the same throughout. Thus we shall
acquire a knowledge of all that is
valuable here, and shall endeavour
to convert to Christianity these peo-
ple, which may be easily done, as
they are not idolators, but are with-
out any religion. . . . Your
Highnesses ought not to suffer any
trade to be carried on, nor a foreign
foot to be set upon these shores ex-
cept by Catholic Christians, as the
object and sum of the present un-
dertaking has been the increase and
glory of the Christian religion.”
Sunday, Dec. 16th. . . . The Ad-
miral ordered every civility to be
Page 8 Columbus’ Christian Character and Divine Mission
The landing of Columbus, October 12, 1492.
shown them, “because,” as he ob-
serves, “these are the best and most
gentle people in the world, and es-
pecially, as I hope strongly in our
Lord, that your Highnesses will un-
dertake to convert them to Chris-
tianity, and that they may become
your subjects, in which light, in-
deed I already regard them.”
Monday, Dec. 24th. . . “Your
highnesses may be assured that
there is not upon earth a better or
gentler people, at which you may
rejoice, for they will easily become
Christians and learn our customs. A
finer country or people cannot exist,
and the territory is so extensive and
the people so numerous, that I
know not how to give a description
of them. . . .”
Many other actions and writings
of Columbus, as revealed in his jour-
nal of the voyage, reveal his Chris-
tian motivation and reliance upon
God.
Wednesday, Dec. 12th. . . . A
large cross was set up at the en-
trance of the harbour, upon a beau-
tiful spot upon the western side, “as
an indication” in the words of the
Admiral, “that your Highnesses
possess the country, and principally
for a token of Jesus Christ our Lord,
and the honour of Christianity.”
Columbus often gives thanks to
God for good weather and providen-
tially arranging the voyage and
watching over him:
Monday, Jan. 14th . . . . he says
that in spite of the bad state of his
vessels he confides in our Lord, that
as he has brought him to these
parts, so he will in his great mercy
return him; for his Heavenly Maj-
esty knew what struggles it had cost
him to set on foot this enterprise,
and that he alone had favoured him
before the King and Queen, all oth-
ers in the most unreasonable man-
ner opposing him.
Wednesday, Jan. 23d. . . . the
sea all the time smooth as a river,
“many thanks be to God,” says the
Admiral.
Friday, Feb. 1st. . . . The sea
very smooth, “thanks to God,” says
the Admiral.
Saturday, Feb. 2d. . . . The sea
very smooth, thanks to God, and the
air soft.
Thurs-
day, Feb.
14th. . . .
He . . . com-
forts himself
in reflecting
upon the
many mercies
God had
shown him in
having en-
abled him to
conquer all
his adversi-
ties and hin-
drances in
Castile, and
accomplish
his great dis-
covery. And
as he had
made the
service of
God the aim and business of his
undertaking, and he had hitherto fa-
voured him in granting all his de-
sire, he indulges a hope that he will
continue that favour, and secure
him a safe arrival. Especially he re-
flected that he had delivered him
when he had much greater reason
for fear, upon the outward voyage,
at which time the crew rose up
against him, and with an unanimous
and threatening voice, resolved to
return back, but the eternal God
gave him spirit and valour against
them all.
Columbus desired to use the
profits from the voyages to finance
the liberation of the Holy City, Jeru-
salem, from the control of the Mos-
lems. This is mentioned in the
following entry:
Wednesday, Dec. 26th. . . . He
adds that he hopes to find at his re-
turn from Castile, a ton of gold col-
lected by them in trading with the
natives, and that they will have suc-
ceeded in discovering the mine and
the spices, and all these in such
abundance that before three years
the King and Queen may undertake
the recovery of the Holy Sepulchre.
“For I have before protested to your
Highnesses,” says he, “that the
profits of this enterprise shall be
employed in the conquest of Jerusa-
lem, at which your Highnesses
smiled and said you were pleased,
and had the same inclination.”
Las Casas’ abstract of Colum-
bus’ Journal ends with this entry:
Friday, March 15th. . . . And
here, the Admiral says, this relation
ends, but that he purposes to go to
Barcelona by sea, being informed
that their Highnesses are in that
city, there to give them an account
of his voyage, in which our Lord
had directed and enlightened him.
For although he believed without
scruple that the Almighty created
all things good, that all is excellent
but sin, and that nothing can be
done without his permission, “yet,”
America’s Providential History, a Documentary Sourcebook Page 9
Queen Isabela invoking God’s blessings upon Columbus
and his mission.
he observes, “it has been most
wonderfully manifested in the cir-
cumstances of this voyage, as may
be seen by considering the many
signal miracles performed through-
out, as well as the fortune which
has attended myself; who passed so
long a time at the court of your
Highnesses, and met with the oppo-
sition of so many of the principal
persons of your household, who
were all against me, and ridiculed
my project. The which I hope in
Our Lord will prove the greatest
honour to Christianity ever accom-
plished with such ease.”
Letter of Columbus to Rafael
Sanchez
After his arrival in Lisbon, Co-
lumbus wrote a summary account of
his voyage as a report for Ferdinand
and Isabella. It was written as a let-
ter to Rafael Sanchez, Treasurer for
Ferdinand and Isabella, and clearly
reveals Columbus’ Christian motiva-
tion. The following quotes are from
this letter.
In his voyages, Columbus dis-
covered many islands. He wrote, “I
named the first of these islands San
Salvador [which means holy sav-
ior], thus bestowing upon it the
name of our holy Saviour under
whose protection I made the dis-
covery.” Other names he chose in-
clude Trinidad [for the Trinity], and
Monte Cristi.
Columbus forbade his men from
trading worthless articles to the Indi-
ans for things of value. He wrote:
“I prohibited their traffic on ac-
count of its injustice, and made
them many presents of useful things
which I had carried with me, for the
purpose of gaining their affection,
in order that they may receive the
faith of Jesus Christ, be well dis-
posed towards us, and inclined to
submit to the King and Queen our
Princes, and all the Spaniards, and
furthermore that they may furnish
us with the commodities which
abound among them and we are in
want of.
“. . . Throughout these islands
there is no diversity in the appear-
ance of the people, their manner or
language, all the inhabitants under-
standing one another, a very favour-
able circumstance in my opinion, to
the design which I have no doubt is
entertained by our king, namely to
convert them to the holy Christian
faith, to which as far as I can per-
ceive they are well disposed.”
Columbus ends this letter:
“. . . the great success of this
enterprise is not to be ascribed to
my own merits, but to the holy
Catholic faith and the piety of our
Sovereigns, the Lord often granting
to men what they never imagine
themselves capable of effecting, as
he is accustomed to hear the prayers
of his servants and those who love
his commandments, even in that
which appears impossible; in this
manner has it happened to me who
have succeeded in an undertaking
never before accomplished by man.
For although some per-
sons have written or spo-
ken of the existence of
these islands, they have
all rested their assertions
upon conjecture, no one
having ever affirmed that
he saw them, on which
account their existence
has been deemed fabu-
lous.”
“And now ought the
King, Queen, Princes,
and all their dominions,
as well as the whole of
Christendom, to give
thanks to our Saviour Je-
sus Christ who has
granted us such a victory
and great success. Let
processions be ordered,
let solemn festivals be
celebrated, let the tem-
ples be filled with boughs
and flowers. Let Christ
rejoice upon earth as he does in
heaven, to witness the coming sal-
vation of so many people, hereto-
fore given over to perdition. Let us
rejoice for the exaltation of our
faith, as well as for the augmenta-
tion of our temporal prosperity, in
which not only Spain but all Chris-
tendom shall participate.—Such
are the events which I have de-
scribed to you with brevity. Adieu.”
End Notes
1. For background on the
confict between Christian Europe
and the Moslem Empire see, John
Eidsmoe, Columbus & Cortez, Con-
querors for Christ (Green Forest,
Ark: New Leaf Press, 1992).
2. This refers to the conflict
with the Moor. See Eidsmoe.
Page 10 Columbus’ Christian Character and Divine Mission
Monument in honor of Columbus at Genoa.