In The Large City Of Lima, For Centuries A Very Stronghold Of Image
Worship, The Interest In The Church Has
Of late years been waning.
Perhaps one reason for this is the changing nature of the native
population of the
City, for the deaths there exceed the births.
Seeing this falling away from the Church, the priests announced that
they had decided to send for the Sacred Heart of the Virgin, and
trusted that the presence of this holy relic would promote the more
faithful attendance of the flock. The heart arrived and was with
great solemnity hung from the roof of the cathedral as the incentive
to piety. Thousands flocked into the sacred building with reverent
awe. The women gazed upon the heart with tearful eyes, and as they
thought of Mary's sufferings and goodness they were emulated to
deeper acts of love and piety. One day the wind blew very strongly
through the open doorway, and the Sacred Heart began to sway to and
fro. Getting more and more momentum with every oscillation, the heart
finally struck against a sharp cornice, when lo - all the sawdust
fell out of the canvas bag they had worshipped as the heart of flesh
of their goddess. How they reconciled the existence of the heart of
the Virgin with their belief that she ascended to heaven in a bodily
form I do not pretend to imagine. It may be remarked that this is
surely Romanism corrupted. Nay, it is rather Romanism developed.
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