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Saint Anthony Arrives 119

a assert his status, however, the priest decided to keep thewaiting. He reminded them that it was Sunday and he hadMass. They should return first thing on Monday.rebuked, the party left and returned to the king. Dona

triz greeted this news with excitrnent, believing she might beto convince the priest that she had indeed been endowedgreat spiritual power and he might back her up. The nexttherefore, she accompanied the king's advisors to the chapelwaited outside while they entered first as a means of intro-her in what was likely to be a difficult meeting for her,

crucial for her mission.advisors approached Father Bernardo and explained thatBeatriz had come to see him, and then ensured that he

rstood she was under royal protection for the moment andcould not seize her or harm her in any other way should the

nterview not go well. Having thus cleared the air, the advisorsled for Dona Beatriz to enter.Beatriz moved through the door and, without hesitating,

wauu'U across the room to the statue of the Virgin Mary, which,_d1un~ with the other religious images in the chapel, was covered

a cloth. Kneeling on the floor, she bent over and struck herforcefully three times on the ground. She then paused

a short time, praying. and stood up.A radiant smile crossed her face as she turned to Father Ber-0, and slowly she walked around him in a circle. Surprised,priest asked the royaladvisors what this all meant. They said

was a sign of joy; she had done the same thing whenever shew the king. De Castro added, as a further explanation, "If she

"'nnPars a bit confused it is because she has recently died and hasrevived from the dead."

Dona Beatriz, a strikingly attractive woman, taller than averageh her hair cut very short and even on all sides, like most Kon-

women of her time, did have an unusual bearing. She wason the tips of her toes, with the rest of her feet notthe ground, and she swayed her body from side t? ~i~e

the way a snake moves." As she moved-about,-lIs he held herstiff as if possessed; she had bulging eyes, her speaking was~

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120 The Kongolese Saint Anthony

, Declaration of War, October 1665, in Brasio, Monllmenta. 11;549-50.

frenetic and delirious," while her language, probably the Sp~~JcU'language reserved for the Kirnpasi society, was often incomhensible, and her movements were clumsy and unpredictable.

De Castro considered her behavior and demeanor approprifor a possessed person, and was curious if the priest considthis possession to be a revelation of Saint Anthony. Forlese, after all, earthly death and resurrection as a possessedson were fairly commonplace, especially for someone, likeBeatriz, who had been a member of the Kimpasi society. Itwidely enough a"Cc~pted that in 1665, King Antonio I hadclaimed himself not only Lord over Kongo but even over')l:l.a.tombolo or the resurrected dead."?) Dona Beatriz' hopes that he might accept her mission wereback, however, by the priest's reply to de Castro's expla"Fine, you are right, considering that you do not know. whatare talking about."

Father Bernardo then began to question her, partly to sathe royal councillors that he had made a good-faith effort totermine her status, and partly to answer his own curiosity.ing in Kikongo, he asked her if she knew who it was that shebeen worshipping when she knelt before the statue of the V'

"It was the Madonna," she replied, and then continuedpointing out two other statues, which, like the one of the .were covered with cloth. One was of Saint Francis, and theof Saint Anthony; each, she went on, could easily be di inzuishecfrom the others.

The royal councillors were stunned at this answer, andin amazed silence, convinced she had known this by somepematural power. For them, it was a miracle, and somethingbe taken seriously. Father Bernardo appeared less impressedcontinued his questioning.

"Who are you?" he asked her.She replied gravely, as if every word were a serious ma

and slowly, as if carefully considering each remark, "I amAnthony, come from Heaven."