The Remains of the Middle Ages Act of Faith of Barcelona
We are not telling our readers anything that they have not already
seen through the press. What is remarkable is that newspapers that
are apparently well informed have doubted it. The doubt does not surprise
us as the fact itself seems so much strange in the contemporary world;
it is so distant from our time that however much blindness we admit in
fanaticism, it boggles our minds hearing that the burning fires of the
Inquisition are still lighting up in 1861, just at the door of France. Under
these circumstances, the doubt is a tribute to the European civilization, to
the Catholic clergy itself. Today, in the presence of an incontestable reality,
what is truly remarkable is the fact that a serious newspaper, one that
daily bashes the abuse and invasion of the sacerdotal power, has found for
reporting this fact, a few mocking words, adding: ‘In any case, it would
not be us at this moment who would be amusing ourselves t by making tables
turn in Spain (Le Siècle, October 14th 1861).’ Is it that the Siècle still
sees Spiritism as only turning tables? Also, it is therefore quite blinded by skepticism to ignore that a whole philosophical doctrine, eminently
progressive, has come out of those tables that they have so ridiculed? They
still don’t know that this idea is fermenting everywhere; that everywhere,
in the large cities as well as in small towns, in high or low social echelons,
in France and abroad, this idea spreads with an extraordinary speed; that
everywhere it shakes the crowds that greet it in the dawn of a social reform?
Isn’t the blow against it, that some judged to have hurt it, isn’t
that an indication of its importance? Nobody throws such a blow against
something infantile and without consequences and Don Quixote has not
gone back to Spain to fight the windmills.
What is not less exorbitant, and we are surprised that there has been
no strong protest against it, is the strange pretension that the Bishop of
Barcelona self-embodies to police France. The request for returning the
books was answered with a denial justified as follows: ‘The Catholic
Church is universal and as these books are against the Catholic faith,
the government must not allow them to be perverted by the moral and
religions of other countries’. So, this is a foreign Bishop that entitled himself
judge of what is convenient or not convenient to France! Then the
sentence was maintained and executed, without even exempting the addressee
of customs taxes that were duly charged. Here is the report that
was addressed to us personally:
“Today, October ninth of eighteen sixty one, at 10 am, in the esplanade
of Barcelona, in the place where criminals condemned to
capital punishment are executed, and by the order of the Bishop
of this city, three hundred books and brochures about Spiritism
were burned, as follows:
The Spiritist Review, Editor Allan Kardec;
The Spiritualist Magazine, Editor Piérard;
The Spirits’ Book, by Allan Kardec;
The Mediums’ Book, by the same;
What is Spiritism, by the same;
Fragments of the sonata dictated by the spirit of Mozart;
Letter of a Catholic about Spiritism, by Dr. Grand;
The story of Joana of Arc, dictated by herself to Ms. Ermance
Dufaux;
The reality of the spirits, demonstrated by direct writing, by
Baron of Goldenstubbe.
Witnesses at the burning:
A clergy man wearing religious garments, with a cross in one
hand and a torch in the other;
A notary in charge of writing the minutes of the event;
The assistant to the notary;
A high ranking official of the Customs administration;
Three agents of Customs, in charge of tending the fire;
A Customs’ agent, in charge of representing the owner of the
books condemned by the bishop;
A huge crowd on the sidewalks and covering the immense esplanade
where the bonfire was lit.
When the fire destroyed the three hundred spiritist books or brochures,
the priest and his helpers left, followed by the booing and cursing of numerous
persons present, who shouted: Down with the Inquisition!
Then, several people approached the fire and collected the ashes”.
Part of those ashes were sent to us where there is a fragment of a
half burned The Spirits’ Book that we preciously keep as a witness to this
authentic act of senselessness. Despite any opinion, this fact raises grave
concern regarding international law. We acknowledge that the Spanish
government has the right to refuse entry into its territory of books that
are not convenient, as it does with any prohibited merchandise. Were
the books clandestine or had they entered fraudulently, there would be
nothing to say, but they were clearly expedited and presented to Customs
Officials. There was permission, legally requested. Customs felt obliged
to report to the Episcopal authority that, without any form of legal process,
condemn the books to the fire, by the hands of an executioner. Then
the addressee requests that the books be returned to the place of origin and finally he hears that his request was denied. We ask if the destruction
of this property, under such circumstances, isn’t an arbitrary act and
outside the law?
Having the case examined from the point of view of its consequences,
we shall first say that there is no doubt that nothing could be more favorable
to Spiritism. The persecution has always been useful to the idea
that one is willing to banish. Its importance is exalted by persecution, it
attracts the attention of those who ignored it and made known by those
who did not. Thanks to this imprudent fervor everybody in Spain will
hear about Spiritism and will wish to know what it is. This is all we want.
One can burn books but one cannot burn ideas. The flames of the fire
excite them rather than muffle them. When an idea is great and generous
it finds thousands of hearts ready to aspire for it. Despite what has been
done, Spiritism already has profound and numerous roots in Spain. The
ashes of that bonfire will produce fruits. But it is not only in Spain that
such results will take place. The whole world will feel its consequences.
Several newspapers in Spain stigmatized the retrograde act, as it deserves
to be. The periodical Las Novedades de Madrid, from October 19th, carries
a remarkable article about it, which shall be reproduced in our next issue
of The Review.
Spiritists of all countries! Don’t forget the date October 9th, 1861. It
shall be marked in the calendar of Spiritism. May it be a day of festivity
and not sorrow to all of you, since it is the guarantor of your forthcoming
triumph! Among the multiple communications regarding the subject,
dictated by the spirits, we shall cite the two following ones that were spontaneously
given in the Parisian Society. They summarize the causes and
consequences of this act.
About the Act of Faith in Barcelona
“The love of the truth must always be heard. It pierces the clouds and
simultaneously bursts through everywhere. Spiritism has become known
by everybody. It will soon be taken into account and practiced. The more
persecution there is, the faster this sublime Doctrine will arrive at its peak.
Its harshest enemies, the enemies of Christ and progress, behave in such a
way that nobody can ignore the fact that God allows the return of those
who have left this Earth of exile to be close to their loved ones. Be assured
that the bonfires will extinguish themselves, and even if books are cast
into the fire their immortal thoughts will survive”.
Dollet
NOTE: This spirit who manifested spontaneously said that he was a
former bookshop owner of the XVI century.
Another
“Something was needed to strike a violent blow against certain incarnate
spirits to help them decide to engage with this great Doctrine that shall
regenerate the world. Nothing is done uselessly on Earth and we who
inspired the Act of Faith of Barcelona, we knew well that by so doing we
contributed with a huge step forward. This brutal act, unheard of in today’s
times, was accomplished in order to attract the attention of journalists
who remained indifferent before the profound agitation taking place
in cities and spiritist centers.
They were left with nothing more to say, nothing more to do, but they
persisted in turning a deaf ear and responded with silence to the desire of
propaganda from the followers of Spiritism. Willingly or not they need to
speak up now. Some by attesting the historic case of Barcelona, and others
by denying them, giving rise to a controversy that shall travel around
the world and from which only Spiritism will take advantage. That is why
today the past tradition of the Inquisition has practiced its last ‘Auto de
Fé’, because we wanted it to be.”
Saint Dominic
