>
>This practice is, of course, recorded in earlier conversions, most notably
>amongst the Germans (I can't remember who wrote the letter encouraging the
>missionaries to use established holy places as sites for churches; one of
>the popes--I want to say Gregory the Great?) I'm sure the conversion
>process was helped along by using places which had been considered sacred by
>the indigenous population--even the uneducated would understand that, and
>probably gradually accept the new religion in place of the old.
It was indeed Gregory, writing though not to the Germans but to Augustine,
via Abbot Mellitus with regard to the English. He writes as follows:
"However, when Almighty God has brought you to our most reverend brother
Bishop Augustine, tell him what I have decided after long deliberation about
the English people, namely that the idol temples of that race should by no
means be destroyed, but only the idols in them. Take holy water and
sprinkle it in these shrines, build altars and place relics in them. For if
the shrines are well built, it is essential that they should be changed from
the worship of devils to the service of the true God. When people see that
their shrines are not destroyed they will be able to banish error from their
hearts and be more ready to come to the places they are familiar with, but
now recognizing and worshipping the true God. And because they are in the
habit of slaughtering much cattle as sacrifices to devils, some solemnity
ought to be given them in exchange for this. So on the day of the
dedication or the festivals of the holy martyrs, whose relics are deposited
there, let them make themselves huts from the branches of trees around the
churches which have been converted out of shrines, and let them celebrate
the solemnity with religious feasts. Do not let them sacrifice animals to
the devil, but let them slaughter animals for their own food to the praise
of God . . . It is doubtless impossible to cut out everything at once from
their stubborn minds."
(Colgrave and Mynors, "Bede's Ecclesiastical History", pp. 107-109.)
Oriens.
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