Posted on 07/29/2007 10:00:04 AM PDT by SwinneySwitch
NUEVO LAREDO - The popularity of "la Santa Muerte" has grown steadily in the Sister City, with elaborate shrines to the death saint popping up on major roadways and mass-market goods appearing next to those of real saints, dismaying many Catholics.
Adoration of this image, believed to be the patron saint of drug traffickers, is not authorized and, in fact, is a sin, religious leaders say.
"It shows ignorance of the faith, because Santa Muerte doesn't exist as a person," said Father Alberto Monjarás of the Iglesia del Santo Niño. "It's only the transition from this world to eternity."
La Santa Muerte is depicted as a grinning skeleton swathed in a hooded cloak, often made of red velvet, embroidered lace or black sheeting. She bears a scythe or a globe, as well as a candle, rosary and a book. In what many fervent Catholics believe is practically blasphemy, Santa Muerte is often dressed as the Virgen de Guadalupe.
Monjarás attibuted the rise of Santa Muerte's popularity to three things: ignorance, commercialization and the devotion given to the saint by the criminal sector that uses symbols of power to dominate others.
Ana Laura Pienda, of the Yerbería San José, said men and women, adults and teens take refuge in this worship, buying candles, amulets, herbs, incense and just about any other article that features la Santa Muerte. They all are staking their faith on the death saint to bring about their desires.
A man, who asked to be identified only as Ramón, bought several items one day last week, including a scapular with the image of la Santa Muerte. The scapular, composed of two square pieces of cloth linked with a cord that is worn about the neck inside clothing as a sign of devotion to a particular saint, is a....
(Excerpt) Read more at zwire.com ...
Ping!
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In the bible, it says death is the last enemy that will be destroyed.
The Church making it a big deal only adds a “forbidden” appeal.
The church has to take a stand and denounce this type of thing, however, ridiculous it is!
A saint of death???.....how sacriligeous! Jesus destroyed death for us when he died on the cross. It is right in the Catholic liturgy every Sunday!
These morons’ scare tactics maybe for the very ignorant and very evil.
Excellent article on this is here
http://fmso.leavenworth.army.mil/documents/Santa-Muerte/santa-muerte.htm
The Death Cult of the Drug Lords Mexico’s Patron Saint of Crime, Criminals, and the Dispossessed
by Kevin Freese,
Foreign Military Studies Office, Fort Leavenworth, KS.
*****
I looked and there was a pale green horse!
Its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed with him;
...they were given authority over a fourth of the earth,
...to kill with sword, famine, and pestilence,br>... ...and by the wild animals of the earth.
--Revelation 6:7-8 (NRSV)
Death is at a full gallop...
And Hell's riding with him...
What disgusting paganism. Undoubtedly this is part of Mexico’s Aztec and Mayan heritage. Many of those beliefs never disappeared. Well, at the least the Spanish stopped their massive orgies of human sacrifice and cannibalism
La Santisima Muerte (‘Saint Death’) is a death-spirit, personified as a female skeleton in a cloak, worshipped by its patrons much like any other Roman Catholic saint. However, unlike other saints, Santa Muerte is an unashamedly material icon, prayed to for money, love and vengeance.
I don’t believe Catholics “worship” saints; they worship God, and Jesus, as God, as part of the Holy Trinity. They admire the saints for their immitation of Christ, as models of Christian behavior and for their requested interecession in prayer. As for the drug dealers worshipping a saint of death, nothing more appropos than the wages of sin; death. If they looked deep enough into their “saint” I suspect Satan’s personage would appear. I suppose if you dig into Aztec beliefs, there were plenty of death oriented rituals (human sacrifice), which are probably left over in some of these SOB’s cultural remnants.
Very good info on Mexican death cults
It’s just another idol to worship that has NO power.
Maybe this might wake up a few Catholics on how ridiculous this is - worshiping and praying to statues and other dead fallible mortals.
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