South Land of the Holy Spirit

Did you know that the country of Australia has Catholic roots?

In the early 1600s, Portuguese explorer, Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, sailed under the Spanish flag (geez! First Columbus and now de Quiros--Portugal missed out) in search of the mysterious Great Southland: a continent at the Southern end of the earth thought to "balance out" the large land masses in the North. This undiscovered continent was called "Terra Australis Incognita" or "The Unknown South Land".

In May 1606, de Quiros landed on the largest island in now the Republic of Vanuatu and thought that he had discovered the mysterious southern continent. He called it La Australia del Espiritu Santo (The South Land of the Holy Spirit). However, he wasn't far off; the islands of Vanuatu are actually off the coast of Australia.

The following is a description of the official claiming ceremony.


It was not quite dawn when the Camp Master and ministers, taking with them an armed party in the two boats, went on shore. Presently, with joyous diligence a booth made of branches was set up on the beach, surrounded by stakes, to serve as a fort in case of necessity. Within, the monks arranged a clean and well-ordered altar under a canopy. This was the first church, and was named by the Captain "Our Lady of Loreto".

RAISING OF THE CROSS

Be witnesses the heavens and the earth, and the sea with all its inhabitants, and those who are present, that I, the Captain Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, in these parts which up to the present time have been unknown, raise and plant in the name of Jesus Christ, Son of the eternal Father, and of the Holy Virgin Mary, true God and man, this sign of the Holy Cross, on which His most holy body was crucified, and where He gave His life as a ransom for the whole human race.

ACTS OF POSSESSION

Possession in the name of the most Holy Trinity
In these parts of the South, until now unknown, where I am, and have come with authority from the Supreme Roman Pontiff, Clement VIII, and by order of the King, Don Philip III, King of Spain, despatched by his Council of State, I, Captain Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, in the name of the most Holy Trinity, take possession of all the islands and lands that I have newly discovered, and desire to discover, as far as the South Pole.

Possession in the name of the Catholic Church
I take possession of all these, the said lands, in the name of Jesus Christ, saviour of all men, how unknown soever they may be, and in the name of His mother the most Holy Virgin Mother of Loreto, and in the name of St. Peter and St. Paul, and of all the holy apostles and disciples, and in the name of the universal Vicar of Christ, the Roman Pontiff, and in the name of the whole Catholic Church, and of all those pious, just, and holy things that have a right in such possession; which I do with joy and to the end that to all the natives, in all the said lands, the holy and sacred evangel may be preached zealously and openly.

The reading being finished, all cried with loud voices: "Long live the King of Spain, Don Philip III, our Lord!" Then we entered the church to give due thanks to God.

They said three Masses, and the fourth, which was sung, was by our Father Commissary. All the people took the sacrament very fervently...The Commissary blessed them with great solemnity; and, at a certain signal that was given to the ships [which] fired off all their guns with full charges; the soldiers discharged muskets and arquebuses, and the gunners sent off rockets and fire-wheels. In the middle of all this noise, all shouted with almost infinite joy, and many times: "Long live the Faith of Christ!" And with this the celebration of the festival came to an end.