The Hummingbird's Daughter_ A Novel - Luis Alberto Urrea [164]
—Today’s sermon (he began), The Satanic Practices of Miss Teresa Urrea.
We stirred in our seats, and some of the men tried to rise, but I gestured them down.—Sit, brothers, I told them.—Let us hear what the papist says.
—This young woman is an infernal abortion. She is Satan incarnate, for who is better to portray Satan than a rebellious woman? Her practices are diabolical. Her healings are an empty work of the devil! Nothing more! Proof that this young woman is Satan in the flesh? She preaches against the teachings of Jesus Christ and his apostles!
We cried out. We shouted. But he continued.
Terrible things. I don’t even recall what he said. He spit his poison for an hour or more, and the warriors grew still. For they had resolved in their hearts to allow me to confront and rebuke this despot.
I stood as he tried to leave the pulpit. My first shout froze him in his steps, and I addressed him firmly:
—Señor Priest (I said) from what we have heard thee say (I used the Usted form to show what scant respect I had left for him) we have seen that thou dost not know what thou is saying! (He gasped. It was resounding, like a slap!) If thou knew what thou wast saying, thou wouldst see that the Saint of Cabora does not preach against the teaching of Jesus Christ, but she herself commands us to go forth and live the preachings of Jesus Christ! (The people gathered around me cried “Amen” to this, I promise you!) The Lord God Himself has put before us a great example, a great teacher, and that is Jesus Christ! If we follow His teachings, if we live His words, then we will be in the footsteps of the Master and in this way we might too be as obedient as Jesus.
Gastélum put his hand over his heart as if I were stabbing him.
—Idiots! he cried.—She only says that to trick you! She has ensnared you with words! You have been seduced by a harlot! (Forgive me, Teresa, but that is what he said.) You will all fall into Hell in the hands of demons.
—Perhaps we will, sir, I replied—I knew then he could do nothing to me or my people: Gastélum had no power of God on him at all.—Perhaps. But if she is evil, why are her actions purely generous, acts of charity and pity? Love. And thou and the rest of thine priests only preach hatred. Why is this? You hate all who are not Romans, and all you conspire to do is to take our money!
—Tithes! he cried.
—She has never asked a tithe of us! yelled Rubén.—She has only given succor!
I interrupted him:—Can you tell us why Satan would advise people to love God and their neighbors while you, who are representatives of God, advise us to hate anyone who does not follow your religion?
I began to preach!
—We, sir Father, are very ignorant, it is true. And perhaps we cannot tell the difference between those who have reason and those who do not. We are simple people. Do you speak the truth, or does the Girl of Cabora? I can tell you that our hearts tell us it is she, sir. She speaks the truth to us. She is the one who tells us to love all men, regardless of their failings or beliefs, because we are only men under God, and as such we are all brothers. While the priests tell us those who are not Romans are removed from God and not loved by Him. And she tells us that the farther a man has wandered from the path of God, the more we must practice goodness and love toward him so he might be enticed to return.
—So, you see, sir, our hearts dictate that Teresita tells us the truth. Our reason, then, tells us that if she speaks the truth, she cannot be sent by Satan. She has been sent as a daughter of God to put us on the road to goodness.
The priest cried:—Blasphemy! How do you dare contradict and defy the rules and orders I have given you! Generation of vipers! Fools! Heretics! You and your devil should be excommunicated for all time from the Christian Church!
And so on. We followed him outside and there commenced a spirited session of yelling and cursing until the good father finally mounted his