TIA,

Today I saw a wonderful Powerpoint presentation on the miracle of the Tilma - but sadly I don't think I can save it to my computer.

Is there somewhere on your website where I can find a copy to save to my computer?

Regards,

C.C.



TIA responds:

C.C.,

Yes, the Powerpoint that was posted on our website can be downloaded to your computer by following these steps:

1. Click on this link to the slide show;
2. When the show starts, copy the http address, the name of the link as it appears in the box on top of your screen;
3. Paste the link on a word page on your computer;
4. Save that page under a name that you can remember and place it in a folder you are familiar with;
5. When you want to watch it again, just click on that link and it will play after some seconds.

     Cordially,

     TIA correspondence desk

Dear TIA,

Can you point me to the journal/book sources for the scientific data on Our Lady of Gadalupe in the Power Point you have on your website? I am trying to cull resources for apologetic purposes, but I can never locate third party, independent research publications that witness to these studies.

Many thanks!

     In Christ,

     Dr. T.N.



TIA responds:

Dear Dr. T.N.,

Perhaps an answer to a similar question (here), where we indicated the sources we have at hand, may be of assistance to you.

In addition, it happens that we recently received the e-mails below that offer more updated data and sources of which you can take advantage.

We wish you success in your research.

     Cordially,

     TIA correspondence desk

TIA,

Peace and good! I recently came across this page of your site.

I wanted to send you some links to the most accurate sites in English on Guadalupe:

http://www.truthsoftheimage.org/en/index.html
http://www.secretsoftheimage.org/en/index.html
http://www.mariancongress.org/en/index.html

These sites are from the Knights of Columbus who collaborate with Msgr. Eduardo Chávez Sánchez - Postulator of the Cause of the Canonization of Saint Juan Diego.

Msgr. Chávez is very good and the #1 expert on Guadalupe in the world.

The official website for the Institute on Guadalpean Studies (in Spanish) is here. http://www.iseg.org.mx/

     God bless,

     Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, C.F.R.

212.234.9089
Saint Joseph Friary
523 West 142 Street
New York, NY 10031
www.franciscanfriars.com

Dear Tradition in Action,

My wife and I live in Mexico, and she found your interesting website.

Having three times heard Fr. Eduardo Chavez present his 20-hour set of conference on Our Lady of Guadalupe, and seeing what his research had discovered on the true and false statements regarding the impression left by Our Lady on the tilma of Juan Diego, plus recalling his statement that false statements do not promote a true evangelization through Our Lady and that true tradition must be founded upon what can be properly demonstrated to be true, I wanted to copy part of an article I wrote a while back, quoting various statements and Fr. Chavez's responses to them (which I translated from his website). His contact info is at the end of this section.

     With best regards and my prayers,

     Frank Denke



TIA responds:

Dear Mr. Denke,

We thank for your kind offer. We are passing on the summary you made of Fr. Chavez' conclusions to our readers.

     Cordially,

     TIA correspondence desk




Fr. Chavez' Clarifications about
the Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Frank Denke
Over the years many claims have been made regarding the miraculous Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and not all have been found to be true. The following is aimed at clearing up the errors, in order that those who are drawn to bringing others to the Faith through Our Lady of Guadalupe may do so based upon fact, not fiction.

Fr. Eduardo Chavez, the source for this information, was named by the Vatican as "Official Postulator before the Holy See for the cause of Juan Diego's canonization." Thus he was given the responsibility of researching and answering the arguments made against canonizing Juan Diego, and also those made against the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe that appeared on Juan Diego's tilma. This project of years of research and world-wide travel lasted many years and ultimately was brought to a successful end.

Fr. Chavez is founder and director of The Graduate Institute of Guadalupano Studies (ISEG), which is focused on continuing the investigation of each of the sciences that covers the Guadalupe event, such as History, Theology, Philosophy, Sociology, Anthropology, Mariology, and law, among others. ISEG's purpose is to disseminate both knowledge and research.

Several times a year Fr. Chavez, Doctor in Church History (among many other titles), gives a five-day, four-hour-a-day series of lectures on his findings at various places - one of them being the Autonomous University of Guadalajara where my wife and I first heard his lectures. In these conferences he takes every argument brought up to prevent Juan Diego's canonization, and with written proof, photographed references from original documents beginning in the 1500's to references from modern scientific research, covers what was true and false about each claim.

While his native language is Spanish, he has written or co-authored a number of books, some in English, and has given talks (in English) to various groups of interested listeners in the United States by request. One of his books, translated into English is called: Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Juan Diego: The Historical Evidence, which contains ample supporting references and footnotes.

What follows is in no way as complete as what one will find in the books of Fr. Chavez or hear in his lectures, but attempts only to give honor to Our Lady by presenting what a respected expert on both Our Lady of Guadalupe and Juan Diego had to say as the postulator for the cause of Juan Diego, and which are posted on this website and translated to English for you and your readers.

1. It is said: "The stars visible in the mantle of Mary reflect the exact layout and the sky of Mexico presented on the day on which printing occurs."

Fr. Chavez comments: This is true. It is still more interesting when it has been shown by Dr. Juan Homero Hernandez Illescas that the stars of the Virgin's mantle can be matched to the constellations of that December 12, 1531, but top-view down, as if looking through the eyes of God towards Tepeyac (See Homero Illescas, Rojas Sanchez & R. Salazar, La Virgen de Guadalupe and Stars, México: Ed. Centro de Estudios Guadalupanos, 1995).

2. It is said: "A laser beam passing laterally over the cloth found that the colors on it are neither on the front or the back of the tilma, but those colors float at a distance of about three-tenths of a millimeter without touching the fabric; that the colors float in the air above the surface of the tilma."

Fr. Chavez comments: THIS IS COMPLETELY FALSE. It is not true that a laser beam has been passed and much less than the colors are floating. On the contrary, the colors go to the other side of St. Juan Diego's tilma.

Of true interest is that the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is on a material totally inappropriate for a work of this nature - without any prior preparation of the material upon which the artist would paint in the 16th century. It is also surprising that it is on a totally inappropriate material with holes, flaws and even coarse stitching crossing through its center from top to bottom, with no prior preparation and colors penetrating to the other side. It is amazing that the image "takes advantage" of these defects, with some holes making "shadow" nodes, and that the threads of the tilma help us to see some features as more beautiful, such as the lips and the pretty face of Santa Maria de Guadalupe. This is truly amazing.

3. It is said:"The maguey fiber fabric on which the image was left cannot last more than 20 to 30 years. Several centuries ago a replica of the image was painted on a similar maguey fiber cloth, and it disintegrated after several decades. Meanwhile, nearly 500 years after the miracle, the image of Mary is as strong as the first day. Science does not explain the origin of the incorruptibility of the fabric."

Fr. Chavez comments: This is basically true, although with several INACCURACIES. Let us remember that it is a fiber of sisal and agave, not exactly the maguey we know. About the experiment that took place centuries ago, surely this refers to the one made by Dr. José Ignacio Bartolache in 1787, who had copies made, as similar as possible to that found in the sanctuary of Santa Maria de Guadalupe. These copies, however, did not last even 10 years - not even a decade, thus showing the surprising incorruptibility of the Original Image (See Jose Ignacio Artolache Bartolache and Diaz and Diaz de Posadas, Manifiesto Satisfactorio u Opúsculo Guadalupano, Ernesto De La Torre Villar and Ramiro Navarro De Anda, Historical Testimonies Guadalupanos, Mexico: Ed. FCE., 1982).

4. It is said: "In the year 1791 muriatic acid was accidentally spilled on the upper right side of the fabric. In a span of 30 days, without treatment, the damaged tissue was miraculously reconstructed."

Fr. Chavez comments: This is vague, since it was not in 1791, but 1785 when such acid was spilled accidentally on the left side of the image, where one can still see a trace of this incident. Thirty-five years later, in 1820, a publicized report was made about this accident and stated that nothing had happened to the fabric. A subtle stain can still be seen with the naked eye (on the front), while a strong dark stain can be seen on the back of the tilma, so it is false to say that the damaged fabric was "reconstructed" in 30 days.

On the other hand, it is even more surprising to note that the acid did not damage any of the fabric or the image (See the Juridical Report regarding the muriatic acid that was spilled on the canvas of the Sacred Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Correspondence with the Supreme Government, Box 3, Exp 54, Mexico, 1820, HBG).

5. It is said: "At the beginning of the 20th century, a man hid a high-powered bomb behind a floral arrangement located at the foot of the tilma. The explosion destroyed everything around except the tilma, which remained in perfect condition."

Fr. Chavez comments: This is true, and occurred on the morning of November 14, 1921, "when a bomb was detonated at the Basilica of Guadalupe. Luciano Perez Carpio, employed by the Secretariat of the Presidency and protected by soldiers disguised as civilians, was the one who planted the bomb at the feet of the Image of the Virgin of Guadalupe. The explosion was so great that it was heard within a radius of one kilometer from this site. The image of the Virgin of Guadalupe was not affected at all, but the candlesticks and the bronze Crucifix that were on the altar were severely bent by the impact" (See Chavez Eduardo Sanchez, La Iglesia de México entre dictaduras, revoluciones y persecuciones [The Church in Mexico between dictatorships, revolutions and persecutions], Mexico, DF: Ed Porrua, 1998. pp-165-166).

Currently, the bronze Crucifix is exposed to the public on the Basilica premises. It is even more incredible that he tried to destroy the image of Santa Maria de Guadalupe using dynamite hidden right in the middle of a bouquet of flowers, that is, the exact same sign chosen by Mary to give proof of the truth and the love of God, but now being used to try to destroy it completely.

6. It is said: "Science discovered that both eyes of Mary (on the tilma) possess the three effects of refraction seen in a living human eye."

Fr. Chavez comments: THIS IS TRUE. As mentioned above, expert ophthalmologists, for example, Dr. Manuel Torroella, Dr. Enrique Graue, Dr. Rafael Torrija, Dr. Jorge Antonio Escalante, etc., discovered this. This reflection in both eyes of living persons was a phenomenon originally discovered by Purkinje Sanson, and it is precisely this phenomenon that occurs in the eyes of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. (Additional comments may be found on: http://www.sancta.org/eyes.html)

According to many scientists who have inspected the Image, it seems that in both eyes, and in the precise location as reflected by a live human eye, many figures could be seen. They have been analyzed extensively and seem to correspond to the shape and size of human figures who were actually in front of the image.

In 1929, Alfonso Marcue, who was the official photographer of the old Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City, found what seemed to him to be a clear image of a bearded man reflected in the right eye of the Virgin. Initially he did not believe what was before his eyes. How could it be? A bearded man inside the eyes of the Virgin? After repeated inspections of many of his black and white photographs, he had no doubts and decided to inform the authorities of the Basilica. He was told at that time to keep complete silence about the discovery, which he did.

More than 20 years later, on May 29, 1951, Jose Carlos Salinas Chavez, examining a good photograph of the face, rediscovered the image of what clearly appears to be a bearded man reflected in the right eye of the Virgin, and found it on the left eye too.

Since then, many people have had the opportunity to inspect closely the eyes of the Virgin on the tilma, including more than 20 physicians, ophthalmologists. The first to do so, on March 27, 1956, was Dr. Javier Torroella Bueno, MDS, a prestigious ophthalmologist. In what is the first report on the eyes of the image issued by a physician, he certifies what seems to be the presence of the triple reflection (Samson-Purkinje effect) characteristic of all live human eyes. He states that the resulting images are located exactly where they are supposed to be according to such effect, and also that the distortion of the images agree with the curvature of the cornea.

The same year another ophthalmologist, Dr. Rafael Torrija Lavoignet, examined the eyes of the Image with an ophthalmoscope in great detail. He observed an apparent human figure in the corneas of both eyes, with the location and distortion of a normal human eye. He also specially noted the unique appearance of the eyes: They look strangely "alive" when examined.

Many other examinations by ophthalmologists have been made of the eyes of the image on the tilma after these first ones. With more or less details, all agree with the conclusions of the ones mentioned above.

Conclusion

As I recall, Fr. Eduardo Chavez mentions in his talks that when The Lady from Heaven assured Juan Diego that his uncle Juan Bernardino was already cured, at that precise moment the Virgin appeared before the dying uncle and not only gave him back his health, but disclosed to him her name as: "Santa Maria de Guadalupe" (Holy Mary of Guadalupe) - using the name "Guadalupe." The fact the Juan Diego received and accepted a name that included both"D" and "G" sounds opens up some thoughts. Perhaps the following sheds light on why.

Historically, "Guadalupe" was the name of a river in the Spanish region of Extremadura that was named by the Moors in Arabic wad(i)-al-hub 'river of love'. (pronounced like "Guad-al-hoop"), and is now pronounced in Spain as: "Guad-al-upe". This river gave its name to the original sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in Spain which contains a figure of the Madonna as a woman with dark, Spanish features holding a child in her arms.

Thus the name "Our Lady of Guadalupe" (which Our Lady called herself when she appeared to Juan Diego's uncle to cure him) could well be translated as "Our Lady, the River of Love". So, we see Our Lady again, as at Bethlehem, as the one whom God chose to bring Love itself to us.

By calling herself "Guadalupe," Our Lady wished to show through by that name God's love for both the Spanish and Moorish (Arab), and, beyond that, through the "self portrait" she gave to all the world at Tepeyac, to refresh that "river of love" which originates in Christ. History can trace its course most immediately to the Indian Juan Diego, then through him to all the Indians and Spanish in Mexico, and finally through them all, beyond them - beyond their countries and continents - to all men during the years that followed.

To contact Fr. Chavez (although he does speak some English, it may be best to have someone who speaks Spanish track him down to go over any questions you may have regarding the accuracy of the statements made in the slide show on your website:

Address:Claustro de la Parroquia de Santa María de Guadalupe "Capuchinas"
Plaza de las Américas, # 2
Villa de Guadalupe
Del. Gustavo A Madero
México, D.F. CP. 07050

Tel.: 53364181
Nextel: 42045276
E-mail: guadalupe1531@hotmail.com
Website: www.iseg.org.mx

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