The amazing similarities between Roman Catholicism and the Aztec religion by a Jesuit priest!!
José de Acosta (1540-1600) was a Spanish Jesuit priest who spent 17 years in Peru and Mexico. His book is based on personal experience of the New World and he maintained an extensive correspondence with fellow Jesuits around the world.
The book was printed and licensed by the Inquisition in Spain in 1590.
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Natural and Moral History of the Indies by José de Acosta, S.J. Edited by Jane E. Mangan, with an Introduction and Commentary by Walter D. Mignolo. Translated by Frances López-Morillas. |
4 eye-opening chapters from Book VII
| CHAPTER 4 | OF THE DEPARTURE OF THE MEXICANS AND THEIR ROUTE AND THE FOUNDING OF MICHOACÁN |
| CHAPTER 5 | OF WHAT BEFELL THEM IN MALINALCO AND IN TULA AND CHAPULTEPEC |
| CHAPTER 6 | OF THE WAR THEY WAGED WITH THOSE OF CULHUACÁN |
| CHAPTER 7 | OF THE FOUNDING OF MEXICO |
25 eye-opening chapters from book V
| CHAPTER 1 | HOW THE DEVIL'S PRIDE AND ENVY HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF IDOLATRY |
| CHAPTER 2 | OF THE KINDS OF IDOLATRIES USED BY THE INDIANS |
| CHAPTER 3 | HOW THERE IS SOME KNOWLEDGEOF GOD AMONG THE INDIANS |
| CHAPTER 4 | OF THE FIRST SORT OF IDOLATRY, THAT OF NATURAL AND UNIVERSAL THINGS |
| CHAPTER 5 | OF THE IDOLATRY PRACTICED BYTHE INDIANS WITH PARTICULAR THINGS |
| CHAPTER 6 | OF ANOTHER KIND OF IDOLATRY WITH THE DEAD |
| CHAPTER 7 | OF THE SUPERSTITIONS THAT WERE EMPLOYED WITH THE DEAD |
| OF THE FUNERAL RITES THAT THE MEXICANS AND OTHER NATIONS USED | |
| CHAPTER 9 | OF THE FOURTH AND LAST KIND OF IDOLATRY THAT THE INDIANS, ESPECIALLY THE MEXICANS, USED WITH IMAGES AND STATUES |
| CHAPTER 10 | OF A STRANGE KIND OF IDOLATRY THAT WAS PRACTICED BY THE MEXICANS |
| CHAPTER 11 | HOW THE DEVIL HAS TRIED TO COPY GOD IN METHODS OF SACRIFICES AND OF RELIGION AND SACRAMENTS |
| CHAPTER 12 | OF THE TEMPLES THAT HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THE INDIES |
| CHAPTER 13 | OF THE SPLENDID TEMPLES OF MEXICO |
| CHAPTER 14 | OF THE PRIESTS AND THE OFFICES THEY PERFORMED |
| CHAPTER 15 | OF THE MONASTERIES OF VIRGINS THAT THE DEVIL INVENTED FOR HIS SERVICE |
| CHAPTER 16 | OF THE MONASTERIES OF RELIGIOUS THAT THE DEVIL POSSESSES FOR HIS SUPERSTITION |
| CHAPTER 17 | OF THE PENANCES AND AUSTERITIES THAT THE INDIANS PRACTICED AT THE DEVIL'S BEHEST |
| CHAPTER 18 | OF THE SACRIFICES THE INDIANS MADE TO THE DEVIL, AND OF WHAT THEY CONSISTED |
| CHAPTER 19 | OF THE SACRIFICES OF MEN THAT THEY MADE |
| CHAPTER 20 | OF THE HORRIBLE SACRIFICES OF MEN THAT THE MEXICANS PERFORMED |
| CHAPTER 21 | OF ANOTHER KIND OF HUMAN SACRIFICE THAT THE MEXICANS PERFORMED |
| CHAPTER 22 | HOW THE INDIANS THEMSELVES WERE EXHAUSTED AND COULD NOT ENDURE THE CRUELTIES OF THEIR GODS |
| CHAPTER 23 | HOW THE DEVIL HAS TRIED TO MIMIC THE SACRAMENTS OF HOLY CHURCH |
| CHAPTER 24 | HOW THE DEVIL TRIED IN MEXICO TO MIMIC THE FEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI AND THE COMMUNION USED BY HOLY CHURCH |
| CHAPTER 25 | OF THE CONFESSION AND CONFESSORS USED BY THE INDIANS |
"Above this parapet were handsome battlements made in spiral shape; the buttresses were finished off with two stone Indians in a sitting position, with candelabra in their hands, and from these emerged something like the hangings of a cross, with rich yellow and green feathers at their ends and long pennons of the same. Within the precinct of this courtyard were many apartments for religious, and others higher up for priests and papas, which was what they called the high priests who served the idol." (Chapter 13).
"And the most astonishing thing for me is that apparently the devil tried to usurp the cult of Christ even in name, for the highest priests, and as it were the supreme pontiffs, were called papas by the Mexicans in their ancient tongue, as is proved today by their histories and accounts." (chapter 14).
"To give a clearer understanding of this, be it known that six sacrificers appointed for this office came to the place of sacrifice: four to hold the feet and hands of the man who was to be sacrificed, another for his throat, and another to cut open the victim's chest and tear out his heart. They called these officials chachalmua, which in our language is the same as a minister of some sacred thing; this was a supreme office and held in great esteem among them and was inherited after the manner of an entailment. The minister who held the office of killing, the sixth of these men, was considered and revered as a supreme priest or pontiff and had a different name according to the difference in the times and solemnities when he sacrificed; also the clothing was different when they came out to exercise their office at different times. The name of their office was papa and topilzin; their apparel and clothing consisted of a red garment like a dalmatic with fringes on its edges, a crown of rich green and yellow feathers on their heads, in their ears something resembling gold earrings with green stones set into them, and under the lip, near the middle of the chin, a piece of jewelry like a little tube, made of blue stone."(Chapter 20).
"A demon who conversed with men in this way, like this demon Huitzilopochtli, has never been seen before. And who he was is unmistakable, for rites more superstitious and sacrifices more cruel and inhuman than those he showed to his followers have never been witnessed or even heard of; in a word, they are dictates of the enemy of the human race himself." (Mexico history, chapter 4).
Vital link
All false religions had their origin in the Babylon of Nimrod and Semiramis.
Reference
De Acosta, José Natural and Moral History of the Indies. (Translated by Frances López-Morillas), Duke University Press. Durham & London, 2002.
Copyright © 2007 by Niall Kilkenny