Beatified Juan Diego
An aztec native, Juan Diego was born in 1474 in the town of Cuautitlán. He belonged to the middle class and he was a potter.
His original name was Cuauhtlatoa, "eagle that speaks", and he was one of the first natives who was evangelized in New Spain. He married Maria Lucia but he became a widower. Then, he went to live with his uncle Bernardino in Tulpetlac.
He had the immense fortune of being the seer of five appearances of Our Lady of Guadalupe and of becoming Her messenger before Bishop Zumárraga. The image of the Virgin, in the middle of flowers that suddenly appeared on a hill covered with frost in the winter, was miraculously impressed on his tilma (a type of cape that natives still wear).
Juan Diego spread out his tilma before Bishop Zumárraga and, at present, said tilma is located, intact and undamaged, in the Tepeyac Shrine. After the appearance, Juan Diego devoted the rest of his life to the service of the Virgin. He died in 1548 and was buried in that site. However, his human remains were lost because of the remodelling that has been carried out in that place at different times.
He was beatified in April, 1990 by Pope John Paul II and he is now in canonization process. He stands as the model of the layman who, through his virtues, contributes to the catholicism cause.
LIST OF SOME OF THE DOCUMENTS THAT PROVE THE APPARITIONS OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE AND THE EXISTENCE OF JUAN DIEGO.
TRANSLATION TO ENGLISH : FERNANDO CASTANEDA MONTERTEXT. "…the young man Juan Diego was raised here… he married a maiden by the name Maria… through him the miracle of Tepeyacac was done where the apparition of the beloved Lady Most Holy Mary whose image we saw in Guadalupe, who is truly ours and of our People of Cuauhtitlan… I give everything to her the Virgin from Tepeyac…"
DATE. March 11th 1559.
SOURCE. Loose Pieces of the History of the Mexican Empire. Paragraph XXXV, 3.
COMENTARY. Part of the collection belonging to the Knight Lorenzo de Boturini confiscated when imprisoned for promoting the crowning of the Guadalupan image.
TEXT "… Guadalupe, for having appeared to Juan Diego, native original from the mentioned town, from the district of Tlayacac, who the before mentioned priest (Landowner Lorenzo de San Francisco Tlaxtlazontli) knew very well, and Maria Lucia his wife and Juan Bernardino his uncle."
DATE. "Informaciones Testimoniales (Sworn Testimonies) of 1666".
SOURCE. Above mentioned document. First print in the library of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
COMENTARY. Notarized testimonies Requested by the Holy See in order to authorize the Mass for Our Lady of Guadalupe. Of great value since the witnesses declared that their relatives had personally met Juan Diego.
TEXT. "There are several canticles in the Mexican language and also in Spanish in praises of the same miraculous apparition; among them a simple copy of the last will of the joyous Juan Diego with a map and in it a church, and in the atrium a religious Francisco and an Indian to whom he is exhorting…"
DATE. XVIII Century, 1745.
SOURCE. Inventory done by Don Patricio Antonio Lopez, #40. 15 pages. Original found in the Library of the National Anthropological Museum. Mexico.
COMENTARY. Part of the collection of the Knight Lorenzo de Boturini confiscated when incarcerated for promoting the crowning of the Guadalupan image.
TEXT. "… in this (year) the Stone Wall was put up arduously. To Mexico City, from all different parts the men came prepared to do it…with the orders from the Viceroy Juan Luis de Velazco…In this year was when Our Most Beloved Holy Mary of Guadalupe on Tepeyac…"
DATE. XVI Century. The annals end on 1612.
LOCATION. National Library of Paris, France. Aubin-Goupil collection, Doc. 64. Manuscript copy in the Archives of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
COMENTARY. There are some differences in the dates, attributed to the different calendars and due to the mexica scribes (tlacuilos) did not know the corresponding years of the Spaniards.
TEXT. "In the year 1555 Most Holy Mary of Guadalupe on Tepeyac Hill."
DATE. From 1564 to 1586. The years go from 1519 to 1586.
LOCATION. 60 pages written in Nahuatl that are kept in the archives of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
COMENTARY. The lack of coincidence in the dates is attributed to the calendar differences and due to the fact that the mexica scribes (tlacuilos) did not know well the corresponding dates to the Spaniards.
TEXT 1. "1531. The Christians broke into the soil of Cuetlaxcoapan, City of the Angles. (Puebla). This same year Juan Diego presented the Most Beloved Mother and Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico."
TEXT 2. "1548. Juan Diego died with dignity. To whom Our Most Beloved Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico."
DATE. XVII Century. The annals go from 1519 to 1739.
LOCATION. The Spanish translation is kept in the Archive of the National Anthropological Museum. AAMC No 18. Mexico City. Corroborated by comparison with the original by Dr. Augustin de la Rosa. "Dissertacio Historica Thealogica de Apparitione."
COMENTRY. Very important quote.
TEXT 1. "13 rod. 1531. The Castilians broke into the soil of Cuetlaxcoapan, City of Angels (Puebla) and Juan Diego presented the most beloved Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico. That is called Tepeyacac.
TEXT 2. "The year of the stone. 1548. Juan Diego died, to who the Beloved Lady of Guadalupe appeared in Mexico. Hail fell on the cerro blanco (white hill)."
DATE. XVI Century. The annals go from 1459 to 1787.
LOCATION. 26 pages in Nahuatl that are found in the Library of the National Institute of Anthropology and History. Mexico.
COMENTARY. They are similar to the annals of the Cathedral but somewhat different.
TEXT. "In this year again a president came to govern Mexico. In the same year again a new prelate Bishop came by the name of friar Juan de Zumarraga, religious of Saint Francis, and then appeared our Beloved Mother of Guadalupe."
DATE. XVI Century. The annals go from 1527 to 1565 and then until 1691.
LOCATION. Property of Don Federico Gomez de Orozco, it was seen by Primo Feliciano Velazquez Esq. The original document is in the Archive of the National Anthropological and Historical Institute. Mexico.
COMENTARY. Important testimony.
TEXT. "1510. Year of the Stone. Then came again a new President to govern Mexico. In this same year appeared Our Beloved Mother of Guadalupe, and manifested herself to the poor Indian called Juan Diego."
DATE. XVI Century. The annals go from 1519 until 1720, made by several authors.
LOCATION. Original manuscript in the Archive of the National Institute of Anthropology and History. Mexico.
COMENTARY. The annals were written according to the use of the mexica scribes "tlacuilos" by several authors during several generations. The lack of coincidence in the dates is due to the different calendars and also to the fact that the scribes (tlacuilos) did not know well the correspondence to the spanish calendar. In the present case other events corroborate the date. The "second President" is Fernandez de Fuenleal. Who arrived in 1531.
TEXT. "In the year 1531 the Spaniards founded the city of Puebla or Cuitlaxcoapan (that is how the Mexican Indians called it) and in the same year Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego in Mexico."
DATE. XVI Century. The annals go from 1519 to 1738.
LOCATION. It is ignored. Primo Feliciano Velazquez saw it. Documents form the Archive of Indias. Volume XIII, pages 196 and Volume XLI, pages 40 to 80. Collection belonging to Gomez Orozco.
COMENTARY. Corresponds to the chronicles of the foundation of the city of Puebla, although similar they are different.
TEXT. "On Saturday the Beloved Lady Holy Mary appeared, and told of this to the parish priest of Guadalupe, and is read the legacy of three portions of land, that this relative and landowner lef to the Most Holy Lady, with the expression "to axcatzin", which means that the Virgin is of us the Indians; and rightly so, because she was painted by the Prodigious Hand of the Most High on Juan Diego’s Tilma, although it was his will to use a lowly material of the Tilma the Preciousness of this Painting. There is also the description of the purity and chastity, with which Juan Diego, lived during his marriage with Maria Lucia, the one that "omomiquiquilli in Ychpochtli," which means, died a virgin, et relativorum eadem est ratio, and is also proven of the Indian History of these apparitions."
DATE. XVI Century.
LOCATION. Archive confiscated from the Gentleman Lorenzo Boturini. Cited in his "Idea of a New History of the Septentrional America". Paragraph XXVII.
COMENTARY. Today no one knows the exact location because even though there is the Inventory of his belongings, this historical material was sold and scattered.
TEXT. It is told in the Nahuatl tongue, the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the Indian Juan Diego. Several complete versions can be accessed in several different languages in "INTERLUPE" http://www.spin.com.mx/~salazar
DATE. Circa 1556, written by Antonio Valeriano after the death of Juan Diego.
LOCATION. General Winfiel Scott subtracted the original and took it to the U.S.A. during the invasion of Mexico in 1847, during one of the wars with the mentioned country. There is a copy that at the end of the XVI century or the beginning of the XVIIth is in possession of Mr. J.W. Conway, in Mexico there is a copy studied by Ernest J. Burrus that is found in the Public Library of New York City in U.S. that dates from the XVI century.
COMENTARY. This document alone would be the one that provides all authenticity of the Guadalupan Event. There are several faithful translations, the best one by Fr. Mario Rojas, found in INTERLUPE.
TEXTO. The miracle of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe, according to the text from the Nican Mopohua, transcribed by Miguel Sanchez B.A. and published by L. Lasso de la Vega. The first miracles are narrated in the second part, added by Fernando de Alba Ixtlixochitl.
DATE. 1648.
LOCATION. Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico. Copy in possession of Mr. J.W. Conway. Mexico.
COMENTARY. Corroborates the historicity of the document of Antonio Valeriano. It is known as the Nican Moctepana and his author was Fernando de Alba Ixtlixochitl. It is believed to be published later.
TEXT. Codex, where there can be seen two images of the Virgin of Guadalupe, also the graphics of Juan Diego and of Antonio Valeriano. There is also the date of 1548, year of the death of Juan Diego and that of Juan de Zumarraga OFM and the signature or the Friar Bernardino de Sahagun, authenticated by professors Guy Stresser Pean and Charles Dibble, the best current experts in Mexican codex. From the University of Paris and Texas respectively.
DATE. 1548.
LOCATION. In the possession of Fr. Xavier Escalada SJ in his museum in Mexico City.
COMENTARY. Corroborates categorically the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the existence of Juan Diego. Experts from the Bank of Mexico and the National Autonomous University (UNAM) authenticated the scroll. Document of extraordinary value. It can be consulted in INTERLUPE. http://www.interlupe.com.mx
TEXT. In these Annals from the region of Tepexpan, under the Glyph of 1531 there is the graphic of an eagle that speaks, "Cuauhtlatohuac", that is the name of Juan Diego before his baptism. Also the tongue that comes out of its mouth has rubies inside. This thesis, first time published in 1985, in the magazine Historica del Centro de Estudios Guadalupanos by Dr. J. H. Hernandez Illescas, is interpreted as: "Juan Diego tells something precious in 1531". Also the importance of the event is highlighted since the size of the Eagle is greater than the figures of Friar Juan de Zumarraga, Hernan Cortez and Fernandez Fuenleal, that were in fact the religious, military and political powers at the time.
DATE. 1531. The annals go from 1326 to 1690.
LOCATION. National Library of Paris, France. Col. Aubin-Goupil No. 13 and 14.
COMENTARY. In 1980 it was important in Rome so that during the process of canonization of Juan Diego, the existence of the visionary was proven. It can be consulted in INTERLUPE.
TEXT. Short narration of the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the Blessed Juan Diego. It is a short version and prior to the Nican Mopohua.
DATE. Between 1535 and 1540.
LOCATION. Repertoire from the Library of the Priests of the Society of Jesus, in Tepozotlan and later to the Saint Gregory College. Today it is found in the National Library of Mexico, No. 1475, from the Collection of Nahuatl Manuscripts.
COMENTARY. The most faithful translation comes from Fr. Mario Rojas, demonstrating, beyond any doubt, the Miracle of the Apparition, since Juan Gonzalez was the translator from Nahuatl to Spanish, to the Bishop Zumarraga and was present in the Archdiocese at the time when Juan Diego showed his Tilma with the miraculous impression of Our Lady the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe.
TEXT. ", God created you, oh Holy Mary, among beautiful flowers, and made you reborn, painting you in the Episcopate. Artistically was painted. Oh! In the venerable canvas was hidden; all there is perfect and artistic. Oh! I permanently will live here".
DATE. Canticles from the XVI century.
LOCATION. "Cantares Mexicano". Section of Mexican Manuscripts from the Mexican National Library.
TEXT. "…Know all you who look upon this letter as I do. Sebastian Tomelin, native of the villa of Guadalcanal… I send to Our Lady of Guadalupe from Mexico City, ten pesos in common gold, which will be paid from my estate."
DATE. "…on the fourth day of the month of April of the year one thousand and seventy two."
LOCATION. Published in the book "Guadalupan Treasure of F. Hipolito Vera, Cuernavaca 1886.
COMENTARY. Catalog of the Indian Museum. Parr. XXV No. 3, from the Knight L. Boturini. Destruye el "Silencio del Siglo XVI".
TEXT. …"Know those of you who gaze upon this testament as I do, Elvira Ramirez… that I order that in Mexico City, be said in the house of Our Lady of Guadalupe three prayed Masses… I order to be said Masses in the house of Our Lady of Guadalupe, (another) five prayed Masses…"
DATE. "… on the thirtieth day of the month of … of the year one thousand and seventy seven…"
LOCATION. Published in the Magazine "Restauracion Social" of the City of Guadalajara in Mexico in 1912.
COMENTARY. It also destroys the "Silence of the XVI Century" ("Silencio del Siglo XVI")
TEXT. "… by receipt, that paid to the house of Our Lady of Guadalupe twenty five pesos in payment of Masses. Gave a letter of payment of these"… that were paid to the house of Our Lady of Guadalupe and its procurators in her name, one hundred and one pesos in gold of the mines…"
DATE. January 18th of 1539.
LOCATION. Published in the Magazine "Restauracion Social" in the City of Guadalajara, Mexico of 1912.
COMENTARY. In this year there was no procurator in the Monastery of the same name of Spain, so it can only refer to the one in Mexico City.
TEXT. "… and so arrived (the Viceroy) to Our Lady of Huadalupe… appeared between some rocks and to this devotion the whole of the land concurs."
DATE. 1589.
LOCATION. Book "Treatise of the Discovery of Indies". Chapter 41. The manuscript is found in the Provincial Library of Toledo. Published by the Ministry of Public Works in 1878. Spain.
COMENTARY. This testimony is unquestionable and very clear.
TEXT. "This image is called in Spanish Our Lady of Guadalupe…on the feast day of Our Lady the people customarily come to pray in the Church before the image, they say that Our Lady of Guadalupe performs many miracles."
DATE. November 1568.
LOCATION. Miles Philip’s’ Narratives. Volume II from the Hakluyt Collection of documents, London.
COMENTARY. Miles Philips was a protestant pirate who arrived with Hawkins. He describes some of the problems he encountered with some of his mates in Panuco, Mexico, in October of 1568.
TEXT. "Things were as follows…when they where discovered…two images of Our Lady of Guadalupe… and the smallest one was given as a gift…given by H. M. Catholic to the immortal Andres Doria. Grand Admiral of Spain, to be placed in the chapel of the flagship… in the famous naval battle of Lepanto in which by the intervention of Our Lady the Virgin Mary was achieved the well-known victory over the Turks.
DATE. Battle of Lepanto. July of 1571.
LOCATION. Booklet in San Esteban de Aveto, Bobio, Italy, where the cited document was extracted, found in the archive in the palace of the Doria Family in Genova Italy. The image touched to the original at Tepeyac, Mexico that was given by Phillip II of Spain to the Doria Family, found in Aveto.
COMENTARY. Important historical testimony.
TEXT. In this document it is written the year 1548, date of the death of Juan Diego, to whom Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared.
DATE. XVI Century.
LOCATION. The original is in the Historical Archive of the Institute of Anthropology and History. Mexico.
COMENTARY. Important historical testimony.
TEXT. It tells the disposition of his inheritance.
DATE. XVI Century.
LOCATION. It was preserved in the Franciscan College of Cuauhtitlan, it belonged to the Knight L. Boturini, XI basis of his work "Mexican Daisy" (Margarita Mexicana). The original is in the National Anthropological and History Institute, Mexico. There is a copy in the Historical Archive of Madrid.
COMENTARY. Definitive document of proof.
TEXT. Narratives of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
DATE. Nahuatl Manuscript of the XVI century.
LOCATION. Copy in the Archive of the National Institute of Anthropology and History. Mexico.
COMENTARY. From an anonymous author.
TEXT. Pictography of Our Lady of Guadalupe when she appeared to Juan Diego.
DATE. XVIII Century.
LOCATION. Adolph Sutro Collection. Found in the California State Library. San Francisco Cal. USA.
COMENTARY. It is a later work that can only prove tradition.
TEXT. Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the glyph of the year 1531.
DATE. Mid XVI century. The annals go from 1415 to close to 1560.
LOCATION. National Museum of Indian America. Heye Collection, part of the Smithsonian Institute. New York. USA
COMENTARY. Important document.
TEXT. "1530. In this year came the president… recently came… Friar Juan De Zumarraga…And then Our Most precious Mother of Tepeyac deign to appear.
DATE. Beginning of the XVII century. The dates go from 1519 to 1631.
LOCATION. Archives of the National Anthropological Museum. Mexico. No. 13, pages 1, 2.
COMENTARY. The date is wrong. But the mistake can be corrected by the mentioning of the arrival of Fuenleal and Zumarraga.
TEXT. "Also: I send to Our Lady of Guadalupe, for my soul one hundred Masses."…Also order to be said in the house of Our Lady of Guadalupe for my soul 100 Masses, and be paid from my estate.
DATE. November 15th, 1537.
LOCATION. Published completely in the magazine "Revista Democracia Cristiana." 1912.
TEXT. "… to the first Bishop of Tenochtitlan…Friar Juan de Zumarraga, to whom Our Most Holy Virgin of Guadalupe appeared imprinted on Juan Diego’s ayate, Indian of the town of San Juanico… on the twelfth day of the same year."
LOCATION. National General Archive. Mexico
COMENTARY. Important legal document. This document was done due to the quarrels over an inheritance.
FINAL NOTE.
List of the 34 documents collected by J.H: Hernandez Illescas and Monsignor R. E. Salazar. Extracted from books and articles from A. Valeriano, A De Tapia, J. Suarex de Peralta, Miguel Sanchez, L. Becerra y Tanco, L. Lasso de la Vega, F. De Alba Ixtlixochitl, F. Florencia, L. Boturini Benaduci, P. Feliciano Velásquez, L. Lopez Beltrán, J. Garcia Gutierrez, M. Cuevas, Alfonso Junco, C. Alvear Acevedo, A. Pompa y Pompa, M. Rajas Sancez, Xavier Escalada SJ, E. J. Burrus, J. Romero, F. Gonzalez Fdz., E. Chavex S., J. L. Guerrero R., las Informaciones 1666, and the albums of the 4th Centenary and the 450th Anniversary of the Apparitions.
Mexico City, February 1999.
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