¡Corazón Cristero! Cristero Heart!

¡Corazón Cristero! Cristero Heart!

The magnificent For Greater Glory film from Mexican Catholic producer Pablo José Barroso, known in Spanish as Cristiada, will open in US theaters within two weeks. It portrays important incidents from the 1926-1929 Cristero War in Mexico fought by Catholics in Mexico against the horrendous campaign of President Elias Calles to destroy the Catholic Church. 

One of the most important characters in the film is the 14-year-old  José Sanchez Del Rio, beatified in Mexico in November 2005 along with other Cristero martyrs is, including the Mexican Gandhi, Anacleto Gonzales Flores.  14-year-old Mexican actor Mauricio Kuri plays Josélito, and Mexican actor and pro-life activist Eduardo Verástegui plays Anacleto.

Josélito died shouting Viva Cristo Rey! after the most depraved abuse and torment. "The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church," wrote Christian apologist Tertullian (c. 160 - c. 225 AD). 

And so the New Martyr Josélito is becoming the patron saint to a generation of young new Cristeros fighting suppression of religious freedom around the world under President Obama's Kultukampf against the Catholic Church in the US, against radical Islamist militants in the Middle East, Indonesia, Nigeria, and the Philipinnes, and both radical militant Islamist and Hindu extremism in India.

The song ¡Corazón Cristero! (Cristero Heart!) was apparently composed for  Josélito's beatification in 2005, though I have not yet been able to discover who wrote it.  It is lovely and sure to capture the hearts of Cristeros and Cristeras around the world as For Greater Glory makes its progress around the Catholic world. Lyrics in English and Spanish are below the video.

For background see Blessed José Luis Sánchez del Río in English and Spanish here. 

Letra:

Yo quiero ir a las montañas. Yo quiero ir a pelear.
Pues yo también quiero morir por Cristo. Quiero mi sangre derramar.

Han profanado las iglesias y pisoteado al Señor.
Ya no es tiempo de escondernos. Hacen falta soldados. Hace falta valor.

¡Corazón Cristero! Dispuesto a batallar hasta el fin.
Ahora es tan barato el cielo..., ¡Morir para vivir!

Corazón sin miedo, de niño y de gigante en la fe.
Qué dicha es caer con este grito: ¡Qué viva Cristo Rey!

El Sol teñía con luz de sangre aquellos campos de dolor.
Estaba en pie con la bandera, y en su pecho, la pureza y el honor.

A los verdugos que gritaban que renegara de su fe,
El respondió: "Fusílenme, la muerte es chica.
Quiero irme al cielo; quiero ver a mi Rey".

Corazón Cristero... (bis)

Aún lo veo en mis ojos. (¡Qué viva Cristo Rey!)
Aún lo escucho en mis oídos. (¡Que viva Cristo Rey!)
Aún lo siento en mi corazón. ¡Qué viva Cristo Rey!

English:

I want to go to the mountains. I want to go to fight.

I also want to die for Christ and to shed my blood.

They have desecrated the churches and trampled on the Lord.

Now is not the time to hide. We need soldiers. We need courage.

Cristero Heart! Willing to fight until the end!

What a joy it is to fall with the cry: Long live Christ the King!

The sun stained with blood-light the fields of suffering.
He stood with the flag, and on his chest, purity and honor

To the executioners who yelled at him to renounce his faith,
He shot back: "Shoot me. Death is small matter to me.
I want to go to heaven.  I want to see my King.”

Cristero Heart!... (twice)

I still see him in my eyes. (Long live Christ the King!)

I still hear him in my ears. (Long live Christ the King!)

I still feel him in my heart. (Long live Christ the King!)

Related post: Blessed José Sánchez del Río - They are going to shoot me Tuesday morning at six for believing in God