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Timi_Celcer
Guest
Is it a coincidence that there was an earthquake in a highly important Catholic city on 1.November the All-saints day?
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ServantPD
Guest
As a Lisbonese, I beg to differ. First, the earthquake happened in the edge of the Eurasian and African platonic plates in the Atlantic Ocean, not in Lisbon. The region of Algarve in the south was far more damaged, but less famous for having less casualties.
Second, these earthquakes happen in a cycle of about 250 years, and always affect Lisbon due to its geographical proximity, as it affects the rest of Portugal, Morrocco and other places. Geophysicists are already expecting us to shake a bit at any moment for some years now.
Third, it only really affected the central part of Lisbon, where the Tagus river rose up in a tsunami and washed it up. The monuments that were standing there just 20 minutes of walking are still standing today, and that’s how the royal family was also saved, they were at the Jerónimos Monastery in Belém, as well as huge amounts of people.
Fourth, there’s never a way to be sure about being a coincidence or not, even though I showed how this is unlikely. This earthquake did help a minister to show true leadership with dealing the situation and the King gave him important power. He was influenced by Enlightenment individuals, he banished the Jesuits, he governed the country rather tyrantly, killing enitre noble families that were opposed to him and and he is suspected of having been a member of the Freemasons. It may be a coincidence, but if it isn’t, it’s not hard to guess who was the author of this was…
And don’t think I’m trying to purposedly undermine the Marquis of Pombal, as we call him. He has the coat of arms of my family, which makes him possibly a distant cousin of mine. Kind of embarassing, really…
All in all, I think it’s a sad and tragic coincidence that happened to the men and women that came before me…
Second, these earthquakes happen in a cycle of about 250 years, and always affect Lisbon due to its geographical proximity, as it affects the rest of Portugal, Morrocco and other places. Geophysicists are already expecting us to shake a bit at any moment for some years now.
Third, it only really affected the central part of Lisbon, where the Tagus river rose up in a tsunami and washed it up. The monuments that were standing there just 20 minutes of walking are still standing today, and that’s how the royal family was also saved, they were at the Jerónimos Monastery in Belém, as well as huge amounts of people.
Fourth, there’s never a way to be sure about being a coincidence or not, even though I showed how this is unlikely. This earthquake did help a minister to show true leadership with dealing the situation and the King gave him important power. He was influenced by Enlightenment individuals, he banished the Jesuits, he governed the country rather tyrantly, killing enitre noble families that were opposed to him and and he is suspected of having been a member of the Freemasons. It may be a coincidence, but if it isn’t, it’s not hard to guess who was the author of this was…
And don’t think I’m trying to purposedly undermine the Marquis of Pombal, as we call him. He has the coat of arms of my family, which makes him possibly a distant cousin of mine. Kind of embarassing, really…
All in all, I think it’s a sad and tragic coincidence that happened to the men and women that came before me…
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Peter12rb
Guest
In my opinion, it’s definitely just a coincidence. The world has had many devout Catholic cities throughout history, and there are plenty of important feast days and holidays. It’s only a matter of time before one of these cities, located somewhere along a fault line, suffers an earthquake on an arbitrary feast day.
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1ke
Guest
Natural occurrences such as hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes, tornadoes, etc, happen all the time. There is nothing special about dates or places, nothing “coincidental”.
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Cristiano
Guest
If we believe in the Divine Providence then there are no coincidences but the human explanation of the acts of God is probably quite wrong all the time, God works in mysterious ways.
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