Santeria James Dickie 7/10/2018
Santeria: Syncretism or Not?
Santeria is a movement that is growing in popularity in Mexico, southwest United States
and Central America. According to the article “Pope faces Mexico worshipping skeletal ‘Death
Saint’ the Catholic Church is condemning the practice of praying to and worshipping an image
of the grim reaper because “we should focus on life, not death.” The adherents are praying to a
representation of the grim reaper in the form of statues that range from a few inches to dozens
of feet tall. They are petitioning these “santos” for help, blessing, material and relational
prosperity, and health. The definition for religious syncretism is the blending of two or more
religious systems that results in the destruction of one or both. This essay is going to argue that
Santeria is not syncretism because the Catholic church has adopted, in practice, praying to
saints in order to receive blessings of various natures for various people and therefore praying
to Santa Muerte is potentially consistent and is not a big leap from that which the Catholic
Church teaches.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states in entry 2683 speaking of the saints it says,
“We can and should ask them to intercede for us and for the whole world.” In entry 2684 it
states
In the communion of the saints, many and varied spiritualities have been
developed throughout the history of the churches. The personal charism of some
witnesses to God’s love for men has been handed on, like “the spirit” of Elijah to
Elisha and John the Baptist, so that their followers may have a share in this spirit.
A distinct spirituality can also arise at the point of convergence of liturgical and
theological currents, bearing witness to the integration of the faith into a
particular human environment and its history.
Santeria James Dickie 7/10/2018
In this is the opening of a particular spirituality which seems to mean a manifestation of the
“spirit” in a kind of mystical and ethereal way. This seems to point to the potential that “Santa
Muerte” could fall into this category.
The reason that this paper is arguing that the prayer to “Santa Muerte” is consistent
with Catholicism is because it is hardly different from the types of prayers that many Catholics
offer to Mary and the Saints. To their credit, it is clear that in the Catholic Catechism teaches
that the prayer and veneration of saints and Mary are “veneration” not “adoration” they seem
to try to differentiate the honor they give to saints from the worship that they give to God
alone. However this assertion means little when in practice they are essentially the same. This is
an example of one of the most famous prayers to Mary
Bendita sea tu pureza
(blessed be your purity)
y eternamente lo sea.
(and be it eternally)
Pues todo un Dios se recrea
(God as a whole is recreated)
en tan Graciosa belleza.
(in such gracious beauty)
A Ti, Celestial Princesa,
(to you heavenly princess)
Virgen Sagrada Maria
(Sacred Virgin Mary)
Yo te ofrezco en este día
(I offer you this day)
Alma, vida, y Corazón
(soul, life, and heart)
Mirame con compasión
(Look at me with compassion)
No me dejes Madre Mia
(Don’t leave me my mother!)
Santeria James Dickie 7/10/2018
[Link]
Author translation
This is an example of a prayer to Santa Muerte
Madre de los Dolores yo deposito
(Mother of pains I invest)
toda me fe, el amor y la confianza en ti
(all of my faith, love and confidence in you)
Sé que nunca rechazas tu Santa ayuda
(I know that you never withhold your holy aid)
a qualquiera que grite tu nombre.
(to anyone who cries out your name)
De rodillas y con lágrimas en los ojos,
(On my knees and with tears in my eyes)
Grito por tu protección.
(I cry out for your protection)
Llévame en tus alas
(Carry me in your wings)
y mantenme a salvo de todo mal y daño
(and keep me safe from all evil and hurt)
Madre de los Dolores
(Mother of pains)
pido esto en el nombre de Jesús
(I ask this in the name of Jesus)
Amén
[Link]
Author Translation
This is worship, adoration and devotion; there is no other name for it. It is very similar to
the Catholic prayer to Mary in the way that it invests heart, soul and faith. This consistent with
the idolatry in the Catholic church in the practice of prayer to Mary and Saints for protection
and help. The Catholic Church has done a very good job with the most recent catechism to try
to make their faith seem more consistent with protestant understandings seemingly attempting
to close the gap. This is however not the practice of the church and the practice of the church is
a reflection on their true teaching. They may say that they do not worship saints and Mary but
Santeria James Dickie 7/10/2018
in practice they do. Therefore there is no real difference between what the Catholic Church
does with Saints and Mary and what the Mexican Church is doing incorporating Santa Muerte in
to their cornucopia of saints. This is based on what information has been given in the article
and what is actually being practiced.
The principle that can be taken away from this is to look to see if the two or more
religions that are being mixed are actually contradictory to each other. Santeria seems to not
be syncretistic because the basic tenets of Santeria are the same as the basic tenets of
Catholicism, it is a works based system, if I do this for you, you will do this for me. This is the
root of all the religions that Satan has created. When it comes down to it, it doesn’t matter
which world religion you choose, you will be serving Satan unless you are serving Christ. In fact I
would make the argument that where it really matters, biblically, there is no such thing as
syncretism, only the adulteration of the only true Gospel. Paul says in Galatians 1:7 “not that
there is another; only those who want to trouble you and distort the Gospel of Christ.”
