With its jagged mountain peaks that jolt vertically from the sea, stunning waterways, cascading waterfalls, tiny fishing villages and mountain farmhouses, the fjords of Norway would be my pick for the most visually striking place on the planet. I’m not exactly going out on a limb when I say this. Two of Norway’s most famous fjords, the Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord, have already joined the Great Wall of China, Egypt’s great pyramids of Giza, and the Grand Canyon as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And National Geographic Traveler Magazine also rated Norway’s fjords as the top travel destination in the world in their first “Index of Destination Stewardship” – an elite list of the least spoiled, great places on earth.

Carved by the Hands of God

Gallivanting north on Norway’s western coast, the fjords were carved out in a succession of ice ages. When glaciers retreated approximately 12,000 years ago, plants soon appeared, animals thrived and humans eventually made their way into this spectacular, but remote, heaven on earth. Small fishing villages were established along with tiny sod roofed farmhouses which quietly dotted the landscape, some situated on mountains so steep that they required a ladder to ascend the terrain. Once tax collectors realized there were people living in this isolated region, they made an annual trek to the farms, only to find that many of the ladders had mysteriously disappeared. When the first tourists arrived – primarily the European aristocracy – who came to fish in this untouched paradise of crystal-clear waters, they were guaranteed all the fish they could carry. Word spread, and the fjords became the sportsperson’s paradise. Soon the rest of the world had heard about them.

HURTIGRUTEN:
“The World’s Most Beautiful Voyage.”

In 1891 Norwegian Coastal Voyage (now Hurtigruten) established a daily, year-round boat service along the western coast of Norway, with Bergen at the southern terminus and the Russian border at the north. With 34 ports of call, the coastal trek became a lifeline along the west coast of Norway, carrying cargo to isolated villages and farming communities. Tourism quickly became an important component of the voyages, giving people the opportunity to experience the fjord-filled coastline, Midnight Sun and the Northern Lights.

Travelers soon came in the thousands, making Norwegian Coastal Voyage one of Europe’s biggest attractions. On my four-day journey, I found that more than 60 percent of the tourists on the voyage were Norwegian. It was wonderful to travel with locals and see the county through their eyes, and the fact that it was a real working cargo vessel made the experience even more authentic. The vessel serves as an interesting hybrid of a working ship and tour boat, with all the comforts of spacious cabins, lounges and dining rooms overflowing with Scandinavian breakfast buffets, and regional Nordic meals for lunch and dinner. Dare I say I ate and learned with every bite. The journey also includes land tours by bus, which meet back with the vessel at future ports.

To understand the fjords is to understand the Norwegian character, whose national identity has been formed by its passionate bond with nature. When a Norwegian goes on vacation – an average of six-weeks a year – the destination of choice is usually the Norwegian countryside. Later, while sitting on the deck of my vessel under a Midnight Sun that refused to set, I asked a gentlemanly 70-something Norwegian passenger about his family’s vacation. He replied that his multi-generational family of fifteen congregates at their cabin further north for four-weeks, sans electricity and running water. He smiled when I inquired how they managed to fill the time. Fill the time! Why… we go hiking and fishing… and have grand family meals by a roaring bonfire… what can be better than that! The more I thought about it, the more I wished I too could disconnect in a similar setting in the countryside. Our conversation ended with a skål (toast) of aquavit – a potato-based snaps, considered Norway and the rest of Scandinavia’s national alcoholic beverage – in celebration of our good fortune on the voyage.

Bergen –  Gateway to the Fjords

Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway, founded in 1070 by King Olav Kyrre. Initially a small trading village, it was named Bjørgvin, ‘the green meadow among the mountains.’

At end of the 13th century Bergen’s status as a village of trade exploded when it became part of the Hanseatic League, a restrictive guild made-up of almost exclusively Germans. Bergen enjoyed protective rights to mediate trade between Northern Norway, receiving fish products and sending back oats in return. During the Hanseatic League’s peak of power, the guild had a monopoly over trade in the North and Baltic seas. Though “designed” for mutual commercial interests, such as protection against piracy and non-guild members, the German traders were endowed with almost unsurpassed treatment with duty-free trade and diplomatic privileges, complete with their own armies for mutual defense and aid.

Bergen’s Norwegian locals, though, were considered second-class citizens by the Hanseatic Germans, and were reduced to menial laborers, maids and servants, modest shopkeepers and backbreaking longshoremen. Some of the city’s female population became “comfort women” for the amusement of the German traders.

Bergen served as Norway’s capital in the 13th century, until it was overtaken by Christiania (now known as Oslo). But the city today still continues as Norway’s busiest port, a remarkable destination for tourism, and with moniker, “gateway to the majestic fjords.”

And this is where your Hurtigrutenfjord experience will begin; but before you hop aboard the boat, it is essential that you spend at least two days in this World Heritage City. Bergen boasts endless tourist attractions, and the Bergen Tourist Card is an important component to your tour of this historic harbor town. The price allows you free or reduced-price admittance to the Bergen Art Museum, Fantoft Stave Church, harbor boat tour, Bergen Castle, and St Mary’s Church.

Time will allow a wandering through the harbor fish market and down the wooden streets of the former Hanseatic warehouse district. A fish buffet should be on everyone’s list for a sampling of Bergen’s world-famous fish soup, gravlaks (cured Atlantic salmon), fish cakes and hearty breads, all washed down with the city’s Hansa beer.

A Bergen Must: Edvard Grieg’s Troldhaugen

Despite his diminutive 5 ft frame, Norwegian composer Edvard Hagerup Grieg was a towering rock star long before the expression existed. Born into a successful Bergen merchant family in 1843, his life dramatically changed when violin virtuoso Ole Bull recognized his talent and introduced him to the treasures of Norwegian folk music. Grieg studied the masters abroad but dreamed of reprieves to his beloved Norwegian countryside – a pattern which continued after he became a world-renowned composer.

Grieg and his wife built a home on Lake Nordås on the edge of Bergen, which he called his best opus so far. Christened Troldhaugen, the Victorian villa became a centerpiece for Bergen’s artistic community and visiting dignitaries. But Grieg also required periods of peace and quiet to work and built a composer’s hut by the lake. Grieg died in 1907 of chronic exhaustion. But today his legacy lives on at Troldhaugen – nothing less than a living museum which consists of the Edvard Grieg Museum, the Villa, the Composer’s Hut, Recital Hall and Edvard Grieg´s tomb. My highpoint was a concert at the hall, which is discreetly built partially underground with a sod roof. The floor-to-ceiling windows behind the stage overlooks the composer’s hut where Grieg would work, superstitiously sitting on a stack of sheet music by Beethoven so that he could reach the piano. At the end of each day, he would leave a note: If anyone should break in here, please leave the musical scores, since they have no value to anyone except Edvard Grieg.

DESTINATIONS ON YOUR VOYAGE

Trondheim – City of the Viking King

Trondheim is Norway’s third largest city and once served as the country’s first capital. Two millenniums ago, Viking King Olav Tryggvason sailed up the Trondheimsfjorden in his five longships and gave birth to the inlet’s name, and, most importantly, led the conversion of the Viking Norse to Christianity. The centerpiece of Trondheim’s greatest tourist attraction is St. Olav Catholic Church, built on the site of his own grave. Numerous kings of the middle-ages have found their final resting place in Trondheim, and the city continues to gain popularity as one of Europe’s most important medieval pilgrimage centers.

With time permitting make a stop at the Trøndelag Folk Museum, an open-air museum dating back to 1909. The museum showcases the various building traditions, with 80 vintage structures on display, ranging from wooden huts to city mansions, including the reconstructed Haltdalen Stave Church.

LOFOTEN ISLANDS – And Lutefisk

Located within the Arctic Circle, no words can do justice to the Lofoten Islands’ breathtaking archipelago, a life-reaffirming array of mountainous villages and white sand, often connected by ornate bridges. With Its inlets of little villages, sheltered by mountain peaks pirouetting out of the sea, you’ll witness why fishing has long been the very foundation of life in the islands.

While on the deck of a Hurtigruten vessel, overlooking a Lofoten fishing village, I overheard an American passenger ask a Lofoten local what those things were hanging on stilts. The Norwegian replied that it was air-dried cod for making Lutefisk. The American exclaimed, And the birds don’t eat it? The Norwegian man shrugged, No, for some reason they don’t seem to like it.  

Everyone of Scandinavian heritage knows of Lutefisk (pronounced lou-tah-fisk), but, outside the Norse world and its emigrants, few have actually eaten it. Lutefisk is a traditional Nordic food of dried cod or stockfish, prepared in lye. It is soaked in cold water for five to six days (changed daily). It is then soaked in an unchanged solution of cold water and lye for an additional two days. When this treatment is finished, a final treatment of yet another four to six days of soaking in cold water (also changed daily) is needed. Eventually, the Lutefisk is ready to be baked in the oven for 40-50 minutes. Today the dish is cherished by people of Norwegian ancestry throughout the globe as an essential Christmas season dish. And never forget about lefse, a large thin potato pancake served buttered and folded, which is even better with a slice of geitos, a processed brown goat cheese. But, for the contemporary Norwegian, Lutefisk is regarded as a common everyday dish from the past, and no longer appropriate for the Christmas Eve (Julaften) table – and now pinnekjøtt (lamb ribs) is the most popular Julaften dish in northwestern Norway, while ribbe (roast pork belly) leads the pack in the east.

Tromsø – Paris of the Arctic

Tromsø is the largest Nordic city north of the Arctic Circle, home to the world’s most northern university and cathedral, brewery, botanical garden and planetarium. Less than a century ago, visitors were surprised to find cultural and intellectual activity in a city so far to the north. Of all the destinations on my journey I found the residents of this city of 53,622 to be the most open and friendly in all of Norway. Look closely and you will see locations used in the original film, Insomnia, by Erik Skjoldbjærg (1997), far superior to the Hollywood remake. And you might notice post-WW II homes, built after Hitler attempted to burn the entire city down in fear that an Allied D-Day invasion might commence in the Norwegian north.

The Sámi –  Scandinavia’s Aborigines

My knowledge of the Sámi People was limited and underfed, with only a vague recollection that they were nomadic reindeer (caribou in North America) herders based somewhere in northern Norway. This changed upon spending four-hours in the Tromsø Museum, which houses more than 2,000 Sámi artifacts, and offers a direct insight into their unique culture and way of life.

The Sámi have been living in the Northern Arctic and sub-arctic Nordic regions (and Russia) since prehistoric times, long before the name “Viking” existed. Though Norway is considered one of the world’s most tolerant societies, this was initially not the case in the treatment of the Sámi – then referred to in the derogatory as “Lapps” – who faced soul-crunching discrimination, forced Norwegian cultural assimilation and found their traditional religion was condemned as witchcraft. Yet, due to forward-thinking Norwegians, the 2011 U.N. Racial Discrimination Committee and Sámi activists themselves, their treatment has dramatically improved where they can now maintain and develop their own language (60 words for snow), culture and way of life. The have their own style of dress, separate national identity, their own radio stations and are represented in the Norwegian parliament.

Many Sámi have become urbanites, generally living in the town of Karasjok, considered the Sámi capital. While others continue with the nomadic lifestyle of moving horizontally across the northern vertical borders of Norway, Sweden and Finland in search of new grazing ground for their herds of reindeer. I came out from the other side of the Tromsø Museum with a keen appreciation of the Sámi peoples’ unique culture and remarkable way of life.

My guide informed me that you can also camp in a traditional lavvu (tent) in the Sápmi Culture Park in Karasjok and interact with the gentle Sámi. He also noted that you’ll walk away with a better understanding of the Sámi’s deep relationship with the reindeer; the animal which plays the ultimate role in their way of life, providing milk, transportation, fur and food. Apparently, it’s not uncommon hear a traditional Sámi joik (song) at the park, which have passed from one generation to the next.

While you’re in the fjord’s, no doubt you’ll discover a few Stave Churches. Take your time and explore them. My personal pick is the church of Urnes (stavkirke), which stands in a natural setting in the Sognefjord. The church proved to be an outstanding example of traditional Scandinavian wooden architecture, a fusion of Viking art and Romanesque spatial structures.

A Bit More on Stave Churches

When Viking King Olav Tryggvason (now Olaf the Holy I) Christianized Norway in the year 1000, he established this new religion by the use of force — but also with Norse mythology as its foundation. Catholic missionaries transitioned the meaning of the pagan winter solstice of Yule as a Christian holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Medieval Norwegians, now tamed Vikings, took their refined boat-building skills and constructed pine wooden churches with little more than an ax and wooden nails. The new Norwegian churches were called Stave Churches, supported by stout pine poles — or “staves” — and slathered with a protective coat of black tar. Pine wood was cheap and plentiful, and the Norseman soon stood solemnly in the Stave Churches’ dark rooms, with benches only for the aged and physically handicapped. With masses in Latin, that few could understand, it was critical to show former Viking pagans a similar value system; a fight between good and evil, illustrated with sculpted dragons and snakes standing for evil, which the Vikings used on their longships to fight evil with evil, dragon against dragon.

And it worked, with a rough estimate of 1,000 to 2,000 Stave Churches built between 1130 and 1350 throughout the Scandinavian world, which also included Russia.

But then, just when the Norwegian populace were barely Christianized, along came the 1517 Protestant Reformation. Catholic Stave Churches were met with groups of strict Protestant missionaries carrying burning torches. Some were pulled down, others transformed into Protestant parishes, ridding them of their sacred Catholic symbols, riches and mythologizes. It should be noted, though, that some Stave Churches crumbled due to rotting of pine poles built on soggy ground. But anything that reeked of Catholicism was destroyed, including the Roman Catholic Church’s celebration of the Mass of Christ. Keep in the mind that Christmas was not even a federal holiday in the U.S. until 1870, with President Ulysses S. Grant’s attempt to unite the North and South in the post-Civil War years.

Today, there are only 21 Stave Churches in existence throughout Norway. The few that remain are less of an elaborate construction, due to their former placement in the fjords and other remote outlying areas – areas that required too much time and travel to be destroyed.

On a personal note, color me as a man with a profound appreciation of Stave Churches; for my opinions are biased as my mother’s family name is Stave.

EPILOUGE

Norway’s quest for independence began in 1814, with the signing of a new constitution, but was forced into a union with Sweden as the dominant nation that lasted until the early 1990s. Prior to that, Denmark had held the reins on Norway for over 400 years. It was not until May 17, 1905, when Norway secured full independence, known as Constitution Day or Independence Day. The new Norway forged ahead, creating a liberal democracy and its own national identity devoid of an any interference from other nations and with a preference not to join the European Union. (a second Independence Day, though, was celebrated on May 8, 1945, when Norway was liberated after five years of occupation by Nazi forces.) Genuine Norwegianness was illustrated in folklore and fairytales (with happy endings), Norse mythology and Viking sagas, a written national language and the use of pine wood, and even voting for Norway’s first king. And, above all, Norway’s artists were embraced with the music of Grieg and Ole Bull; the plays of dramatist Henrik Ibsen (the world’s most popular playwriter after Shakespeare); the novels of Knud Knudsen; and the Expressionist paintings of Edvard Munch. Like the Republic of Ireland, Norway is nation who loves its artists.

In 2018, Norway was the world’s 14th biggest producer of oil and eighth biggest producer of natural gas, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration. The black gold is also the reason Norway’s 5.4 million inhabitants today have the world’s biggest sovereign wealth fund, worth $1.36 trillion (1.13 trillion euros). Despite the nation’s affluence, the Norwegian character is one of modesty, where the nation’s oil revenue is poured back into the economy allowing a higher standard of living for all citizens.

Yet, keen to present itself as a role model with its efforts to fight deforestation in the tropics and a world leader in electric car sales, the Scandinavian country aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent by 2030, and to almost nothing by 2050.

But it is regularly criticized for the CO2 emissions generated abroad by the oil it exports.

While Norway cites the need for a “green transition,” it still relies heavily on oil and gas revenues for its public finances, trade balance (accounting for 42 percent of exports of goods), employment (more than 200,000 jobs are either directly or indirectly linked to the sector) and, most importantly, to keep rural Norway populated.  Norway is nothing less than the world’s greatest planned nation. 

HOW TO GET THERE

Scandinavian Airlines

Hurtigruten.us

VisitNorway.com/us

The post Norway’s Fjords: God’s Gift to the World appeared first on Traveling Archive.

The “E” Word

Today I gave someone a very valuable gift.

In my property management business, I have to make some unpopular decisions. One of the residents had very expensive repairs done to her home and I had to build a case to bill her for it. She was told about it and she flared up and insisted that it was the Home Owners Association that was responsible for the payment and not her. After much research and deliberation, I believe that legally she really was supposed to pay for this and I was prepared to go to battle with her. This could have escalated into World War III but one thing led to another and the board members decided not to pursue the matter anymore. So I wrote her and told her the good news. I thought she would dance for joy but all I got was “big deal, I knew I was right all along.”

She was unaware that she was inches away from a legal battle. Instead, she felt entitled.

Entitlement is a big thing nowadays. Many have died because of a suicidal terrorist’s entitlement to bring others down with him. Many march in arms because they are entitled to money they never worked for. In California some of the homeless pollute the streets because they are entitled to be taken care of.

Entitlement. Follow it’s selfish path and you lose your self worth. It makes you bitter and never satisfied. Its negativity spreads like a virus. It hurts the unappreciated on the other side. It’s an easy inviting path (I’ve fallen into its trap sometimes) so thank you for defending against it.

But this is just me … and I’m tired … and I’m entitled to my opinion. :-).

TGIF people!

Raoul

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C.  for sharing this joke.

Don’s Puns

Sent by Don of Kelowna, B.C.

Assuring Video: Baking Can Be A Real Piece of Art

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, BC for sharing this amazingly realistic objects that are actually cake.

Parting Shot

Thanks to Naomi of N Hollywood who sent this joke.

The post Lemon Squeeze appeared first on Traveling Archive.

On a recent trip to Mexico City, my wife and I were exploring the Roma Norte Neighborhood, courtesy of Visit Mexico City.  Located on the edge of the city’s bustling downtown and historical sites, we were just about to take a break in one of Roma Norte’s idyllic tree-lined pocket parks, when a small building, adjacent to a parish church, caught our attention.  Its sign read: Museo Padre Pro. The name sounded curiously familiar, so we went inside.

Museo Padre Pro

The museum was small, but felt spacious, allowing emotional space to reflect on this man Pro and his remarkable life story. At the entrance to the museum, books, posters and postcards were sold. All the information was in Spanish, but fortunately I was with my Spanish-speaking wife, who translated Pro’s history to me. His story was of a  Catholic priest who defied the fiercely anti-clerical and anti-Catholic provisions of the 1917 Constitution, which were now vigorously enforced in 1926. This enforcement resulted in severe penalties for priests, including death, who criticized the government or wore clerical garb outside their churches. The articles also mandated secular education in schools, prohibiting the Church from participating in primary and secondary education, forbade public worship outside of church buildings and restricted religious organizations to own property. The final article revoked basic civil rights of clergy members, denying priests and religious workers the right to vote. The law led to the horrific Cristero War, named for the Catholic combatants’ slogan, Viva Cristo Rey! (long live Christ the King!)  An armed peasant rebellion soon formed, supported by the Catholic Church.

When we explored the museum further, we found that it  was tastefully showcased with all things Padre Pro, including  photographs, artifacts, letters, newspaper clippings and a blood-stained vest, protected behind glass, which Pro wore at the moment of his death.

The Power and the Glory & Graham Greene

I realized that Padre Pro’s narrative sounded very familiar to the 1940 novel, The Power and the Glory by British author Graham Greene. Known as the “great Catholic novelist,” Greene tells the story of a renegade Roman Catholic priest (or “whisky priest” — a name used in anti-religious propaganda) living in the Mexican state of Tabasco at the very time when the Mexican government was attempting to suppress the Catholic Church.   That suppression had resulted in the above Cristero War (1927-1929). In my naiveté I thought Greene’s novel was a work of fiction. I mean how could this really have happened without me not knowing about it. But, it did happen.  And Greene called it the fiercest persecution of religion anywhere since the reign of Elizabeth. The persecution was most severe in Tabasco under the notorious anti-Catholic governor Tomás Garrido Canabal. Worshipping God was outlawed, and Canabal closed all the churches in the entire state. His regime systematically hunted down all serving priests, forcing them to denounce the Church, and some to marry. One priest refused to comply.

José Ramón Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez

Padre Pro was born 1891 in Guadalupe, Mexico to a wealthy mining family. He entered the Jesuit novitiate in Mexico until 1914 when the first wave of governmental anti-Catholicism forced the novitiate to dissolve and the Jesuits to flee to Los Gatos, California. He then studied in Spain, taught in Nicaragua and for his theological studies, was sent to Belgium, where the French Jesuits (also in exile) had their faculty of Theology. He was ordained a priest on August 31, 1925. His first assignment was to work with the miners of Charleroi, Belgium where he was able to win the miners over, preaching the Gospel. One of his companions said that he had never seen such an exquisite wit, never coarse, always sparkling.  He was noted for his charity and ability to speak about spiritual subjects without boring his audience.

A Return Home to Mexico

In 1926, the Jesuits sent Pro to Mexico City just three days after Plutarco Elías Calles banned all public worship. Since he was not known as a priest, Padre Pro went about clandestinely — sometimes in disguise of a variety of professions — celebrating Mass, distributing communion, baptizing children, hearing confessions, anointing the sick, and even celebrating weddings. He would often dress as a beggar to collect money for the poor. The whole time, he was risking his life because public worship was explicitly outlawed and priests would be arrested immediately. Pro served a Church which was forced to go “underground.” He continued to secretly administer sacraments to small groups of Catholics. Details of Pro’s ministry in the underground church come from his many letters displayed in the museum.

We carry on like slaves. Jesus help me! There isn’t time to breathe, and I am up to my eyebrows in this business of feeding those who have nothing. And they are many—those with nothing. I assure you that I spin like a top from here to there with such luck as is the exclusive privilege of petty thieves. It doesn’t even faze me to receive such messages as: “The X Family reports that they are twelve members and their pantry is empty. Their clothing is falling off them in pieces, three are sick in bed and there isn’t even water.”  As a rule my purse is as dry as Calles’s soul, but it isn’t worth worrying since the Procurator of Heaven is generous.

People give me valuable objects to raffle off, something worth ten pesos that I can sell for forty. Once I was walking along with a woman’s purse that was quite cute (the purse not the woman) when I met a wealthy woman all dolled up.

What do you have there?

A lady’s purse worth twenty-five pesos. You can have it for fifty pesos which I beg you to send to such-and-such a family.

I see God’s hand so palpably in everything that almost—almost I fear they won’t kill me in these adventures. That will be a fiasco for me who sighs to go to heaven and start tossing off arpeggios on the guitar with my guardian angel.

Soon under surveillance by the Calles regime, a failed attempt to assassinate Álvaro Obregón, provided the state with a pretext for arresting Pro.  A man confessed his part in the plot, testifying that Pro was not involved, but this was ignored.

In prison, unsure of his fate, Pro spent his time praying for the others in confinement and for the salvation of humankind. On the morning of November 23, a guard appeared at the cell door and called for Padre Pro. He turned to the other prisoners and exclaimed, Good-bye, brothers, till we meet in Heaven!

The policeman who escorted him out was filled with remorse, and asked Pro to forgive him for his part in this injustice. Padre Pro threw his arms around the officer and said, Not only do I pardon you, but I am grateful to you, and I shall pray for you. The thirty-six-year-old Jesuit was led onto the firing range. The major asked him whether he wished to express any last will. The humble padre answered firmly, Permit me to pray. Padre Pro then knelt down. He kissed a crucifix in his right hand, and clenched Rosary Beads with his left.

Refusing a blindfold, the prisoner stood erect, and said calmly, Lord, Thou knowest that I am innocent. As a last priestly gesture, he raised his consecrated hand, and made the Sign of the Cross over the spectators. Then, addressing himself to those who were about to kill him, he said, May God have mercy on you. May God bless you. With all my heart I forgive my enemies! As the soldiers lifted their rifles, he exclaimed loudly, Viva Cristo Rey!

The guns sounded, and the cruciform figure of one of Mexico’s greatest contemporary heroes, fell to the ground, riddled with bullets. To make sure that the victim was no longer living, a centurion fired a shot at close range into the martyr’s head.

Calles had the execution meticulously photographed, and the newspapers throughout the country carried photos on the front page the following day. Calles thought that the sight of the pictures would frighten the Cristero rebels who were fighting against his troops. However, it had the opposite effect. Over 40,000 people lined the streets for his funeral, even though their actions were illegal. Another 20,000 waited at the cemetery to see him buried. There was no priest openly present. The Cristeros became more animated and fought with renewed enthusiasm, many of them carrying the newspaper photos of Pro before the firing squad.

Pro’s arrest, lack of trial, and evidential support gained prominence during the Cristero War. Known for his religious piety and innocence, he was beatified on September 25, 1988, by Pope John Paul II as a Catholic martyr, killed in odium fidei (in hatred of the faith).

The Power and the Glory – Final Words

The title, The Power and the Glory of Greene’s novel is an allusion to the doxology often added to the end of the Lord’s Prayer: For thine is the kingdom, (and) the power, and the glory, now and forever (or forever and ever), amen. The novel of fiction is intended as a metaphor for the Cristero war.

The “whisky priest,” (his only name in the novel) is on the run from the authorities, who will kill him if he is caught. He is far from the finest example of his profession; he is an alcoholic who once fathered a child, whom he never acknowledges. In his younger days he was arrogant and self-satisfied. Now as a fugitive, he feels guilty for his mistakes and sins. As the last priest in the state of Tabasco, he continues to secretly perform his priestly functions, but with extreme difficulty and reluctance. Before his final attempted ascent to safety over the mountains, he secretly visits a practicing Catholic family, where he performs various religious testaments. The family both feed and hide him. It is believed that the “whisky priest” is based on Padre Pro, though much liberty has been taken with his character.

The “lieutenant” (also his only name in the novel) is the chief adversary of the priest. He is obsessed with catching him and leads a posse into the mountains. He despises the church which he considers corrupt and has held back the prosperity of the poor. He takes hostages from the villages and kills them when he feels it’s necessary. However, the “lieutenant” is also idealistic, and believes in radical social reform that would end poverty and provide education for everyone. He is capable of acts of personal kindness, as when he gives money to the “whisky priest,” whom he mistakenly thought to be a destitute drunkard. He then ruthlessly continues to pursue the priest. The “lieutenant” represents Garrido Canabal.

Once the “whisky priest” is in the mountains he meets a homeless beggar, who tags along with him. The priest believes that he will be his Judas, for a large sum of money is offered for the knowledge of his whereabouts. The beggar disappears as the priest gets closer to safety. But the priest stops to attend to the spiritual needs of a dying man.  This leads to his eventual capture by the “lieutenant” and the “whisky priest’s” death .

The novel ends with the Catholic family with whom the “whisky priest” previously hid and conducted secret services for them.  There is a knock on their door. Rather than it being the “lieutenant” to arrest them, it is a new priest.

Many thanks to the people who assisted me with this article.

Learn more about the Museo Padre Pro

See a video courtesy of Museo Padre Pro

Learn more about Visit Mexico City

The post A Profile in Courage — The Story of Padre Pro appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Documentary filmmaker Maggie Betts has written and directed her first narrative feature, “Novitiate,” a riveting, captivating, look at the life of a young girl who becomes intoxicated with Catholicism and decides to devote her life to God.  Under Betts’ sharp direction, Margaret Qualley gives an outstanding performance as the young postulant in training to become a nun at the Order of the Sisters of Blessed Rose.  The convent is run with an iron hand by the Reverend Mother, played chillingly by Melissa Leo, who tries to defy the radical changes in the religion as put forth by Vatican II, lifting many of the rules that guided nuns through the ages.  Without taking an editorial position, Betts skillfully unveils the harsh, often inhumane realities of devoting one’s life to God, and at the same time illuminates the young postulant’s human desires of sexuality and physical contact. 

For the roles of the nuns, Betts assembled an incredible cast of mostly unknown actors, each of whom gives a stirring performance.  They include:  Lisa Stewart Seals, Alyssa Brindley, Chelsea Lopez, Liana Liberato, Morgan Saylor, Eline Powell, Rebecca Dayan, Hannah Renee Jackson, Angela Fox, Neva Howell, Ashley Bell, Dianna Agron, Maddie Hasson, and Marshall Chapman.  The rest of the excellent supporting cast is comprised of Eliza Mason as 7-year-old Cathleen, Sasha Mason as 12-year old Cathleen, and Peggy Walton-Walker as the nuns’ teacher.  Rounding out the cast is Julianne Nicholson as Cathleen’s mother who gives an outstanding, heartfelt performance of a mother struggling to understand her daughter’s chosen life’s trajectory.  Special kudos to Director of Photography Kat Westergaard, who is responsible for the intimate, gorgeous look of the film.

Maggie Betts and Margaret Qualley recently sat down with your journalist for an exclusive interview, which has been edited for content and continuity for print purposes.

What was it about the book on Mother Teresa that motivated you to write and direct “Novitiate?”

 Betts:  I thought the book would be a biography – kind of an overview of Mother Teresa’s accomplishments.  It was actually a collection of letters that she had written over the course of her life to friends, confidantes, and family members.  They were super painfully intimate letters that were consumed with her love relationship with her “husband,” which was God. That was way more interesting to her than anything else in her life.  It was torturous, filled with highs and lows and very intense and was way more interesting to her than anything else in her life.  For example, she would write a paragraph about this orphanage we’re doing in Calcutta and then spend another paragraph about how I’m feeling lonely because God isn’t talking to me today and I’m really sad.  I love him so much.   She focused on love as that apparently was the most important thing to her.  I only read this one book so I don’t want to appear as an expert.  But, it seemed to me that love consumed all her energy and was the thrust of her life.  It mirrored my most intense romantic relationships and I was mesmerized that the woman could have a non-physical relationship like that with God.

Do you have any thoughts on the fact that all these nuns are “married” in a non-physical relationship with God?

Betts:  But it’s literal. It’s literal like taking the body of Christ is literal. It’s their literal husband.

Do you think it’s more of a symbolic husband than literal because literal would mean reality vs. fantasy?

Betts: It’s not symbolic.  It’s difficult for us to understand and I don’t understand it entirely, but I feel like I got closer to it.  How could it be literal?  I’m not saying that I think God is in a relationship with the nuns and he exists in their day-to-day lives.  But one of the tenets of Catholicism is that there is this lateralization of certain things. For the nuns, it’s suppose to be taken as reality and that’s the context that I’m using.  Margaret beautifully depicts that aspect of her character as she is in a constant conversation with this entity, or this boyfriend, or this lover, day in and day out.

Did you ever love someone like these women love God?

Betts: I was so in love with my first boy friend and was completely obsessed with him.  I projected a lonely, sad, desperately needing love young girl and everything revolved around him. This guy had to fill all of that for me.  After the relationship was over, in looking back years later, I realized the guy had none of the qualities I projected onto him.  He was actually a loser but was like God to me because I put everything into him and it was literal.

How long did it take you to write the script?

Betts: Writing the script did not take long.  The first draft, which is always total crap, was not good.  But it had pages 1 to 50 and it took about four to six months, but the research took five to six years.  I wrote a 40-page research document for myself that had everything that was interesting to me.  By the time I got to writing the script, I knew there would be certain scenes including the wedding scene.  I knew exactly what was going to happen in that scene.  I knew it was to start with Cathleen as a young child in school, so I followed that arc.  Ultimately, it wasn’t hard to write the script because I saturated myself with the research.

Did you have an easy time getting financing for the film?

Betts:  No.  Not an easy time.  No.  It went up and down.  You think you’re going to get money and then you’re not.  I think making an independent film is like a marathon endurance test.  You have to be able to pace yourself through endless let downs and disappointments and just stay determined to get your film made.  You have to just keep going or it won’t get done.

Did you get any opposition or assistance from the Church and you did have any advisers on set?

Betts:  We didn’t get any resistance from the Church, but we did have a priest and a former nun on set that served as tech advisers.

How did you find the very talented Margaret Qualley to play the central role of Sister Cathleen?

Betts:  It was like finding a needle in a haystack.  I had contacted different agencies and told them we were looking to cast a new face – someone who is comparatively unknown and somebody who has to possess special qualities because the role is that of a nun in the 1960s.  The agencies were very excited about the project and did everything to facilitate us finding that individual.  But, a lot of girls in the character’s age group were in their teens and not getting heavy dramatic roles.  The agencies were very helpful, almost overwhelmingly so as there was a period of months where I was skyping or meeting with another young actress each day.  I met with so many incredible young women, but I hadn’t found exactly what I was looking for.  It was a Wednesday and I had already talked to six girls that week and was not in the mood for one more audition.  I had watched a little bit of Margaret’s reel on “Leftovers,” which was good and it was clear that she was very talented.  But that character was very angsty and kind of like a sarcastic, angry teen and as far away from the character of Sister Cathleen that I was looking for.  That character is completely un-ironic, has no sarcasm, is pure, and is totally idealistic.  So I didn’t want to do this Skype with Margaret, but felt it was unprofessional to cancel.  We got on Skype together and it was like oh my God this is the girl.

What did you that set her apart from all the other actresses?

Betts: People have asked me that question many times.  Margaret is incredibly beautiful.  Margaret is incredibly intelligent.  Margaret has a natural magnetism that will even jump through a Skype screen.  That said, I can’t identify one particular quality that made her stand out.  But, she knocked me over and I knew she was who I was looking for.  When I got off the phone, I started pacing down streets in New York.  I couldn’t believe she had dark hair because I always pictured the character as blonde.  Not that I have any preference between blond or brunettes but I had spent years and years with this image of this character in my head and I thought, “Ain’t that something;” she has dark hair.  When I was done pacing the streets for a half hour, I then called my casting directors and told them I found the girl.

 That haunting love scene between the two novices clearly depicted ( postulant)  Cathleen’s need to be touched which overrode momentarily her devotion to  God/husband.  Was that one of the most intense scenes for you?

Qualley:  The scene where the young novitiates confess their flaws was actually more intense because we shot for three days on our knees and listened to confessions.  The whipping scene was also intense.  Over my director’s objections, I used a real whip because I wanted to experience what it felt like.  My back was covered with welts and bruises.

After all those years of Sister Cathleen being devoted to Catholicism and determined to become a nun, beginning as a young child, why did you choose that ending?)

Betts: In the script, it was resolved and you knew what happened to her.  It was Margaret’s idea to push for that ending in the film and she was 100% right.

What would you like the audience to take away from this film?

Qualley:  There are a lot of things you can take away from the film.  One of the things that hit home for me is the overwhelming desire to be perfect.  All these young girls are trying desperately to be perfect and are very hard on themselves.  I’m not religious at all, but one of the things that was exciting about this film was to have a love story with Jesus, which sounds insane.  I think it’s a testament to how much you can project onto somebody and how much we live in our imaginations and then at a certain point, that is not enough.

Well done.  I wish you a strong box office success.

Betts & Qualley:  Thank you.

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