The Mary Movement in Mexico
Chaplain Ken Lawson
INTRODUCTION
After the 1993 completion of my book, The Mary Movement [Ephesians 5:11, $4], I began to hope for the opportunity to do further research on devotion to Mary in another culture. The original research focused on the adoration of Mary from the perspective of Caucasians throughout the U.S. and southern Canada.
In January 1997, the opportunity came for my family and me to visit central and southern Mexico. The purpose of this article is to report on the veneration of the Virgin in a Spanish speaking, Latin American culture. Through visiting about twenty churches, shrines and basilicas devoted to Mary, I was able to sample the current obsession towards the Virgin that permeates the Mexican culture. I will concentrate on the city of Oaxaca (pronounced 0-haka) and Mexico City.
OAXACA
The city of Oaxaca was settled by the Spanish in the 1500's. There are currently 27 Roman Catholic church buildings in this medium-size city, many tracing their roots to the Spanish conquest. The main attraction in Oaxaca is the Zocato (city park) and the spectacular Oaxaca Cathedral, built in 1553. This magnificent cathedral with its greenstone baroque-style facade is the home of the enormous statue called Ascension of the Virgin. This polished brass statue of the Virgin Mary shows her as the Queen of Heaven and the Mother of God, dwarfing any comparison to Jesus. About one thousand worshipers per day bow before this image of Mary, recite rosary prayers, light candles and leave flowers at the feet of this enormous fetish.
Two other Roman Catholic churches in Oaxaca have special significance for the adoration of the Virgin Mary. The Church of Saint Dominic, built in the late 1500's, contains 36 beautiful murals of Bible scenes and medieval mythology, many relating to the superstitions that have evolved over the centuries concerning the Virgin Mary. Another attraction in Oaxaca is the Basilica and Convent of the Solitude. This structure is the only building in Oaxaca elevated by Rome to the status of basilica. This ornate and embellished site, built between 1680 and 1690, is dedicated to the Virgin Mary in her solitude, as she hid the true identity of the boy Jesus in her heart. Inside the basilica is a large, ornamented black polished statue of Mary. Here the Virgin is worshiped as the patron saint of the Mexican people. The attached museum displays historic and valuable items presented to the image of Mary over a three hundred year period.
Our trips around Oaxaca and into the countryside exposed us to a rural culture obsessed with devotion to the Virgin Mary. These poor barefoot laborers, who worked hard all day at a trade or in the fields, were fanatically pious towards Mary. Even the most humble mud and straw shacks we saw had some sort of icon or wall-hanging devoted to the Virgin. Everywhere we saw Mary represented as the Queen of Heaven. Vendors rode bicycles down dirt sidewalks selling religious jewelry, prayer cards and candles for daily use in adoration of the Virgin. There were times, in both rural and urban neighborhoods, that whichever way I looked I could see some icon, image, poster, homemade shrine or religious item dedicated to Mary. In all my research in the United States and southern Canada for my original book The Mary Movement, I had never seen anything like this.
We were in Oaxaca for Day of the Kings, a major religious festival held on January 6 to commemorate the visit of the Wise Men to Bethlehem after Jesus was born. While in Oaxaca, we attended the First Baptist Church of Oaxaca. I asked the Christians in this church about the fanatical worship towards the Virgin Mary all over the community. They simply responded, "Es del Diablo" (It is of the Devil).
MEXICO CITY
The Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City is one of the largest church buildings in the world. Located next to the National Palace, this structure is an architectural wonder. Originally built on the ruins of an Aztec temple in 1525, it was later rebuilt in the 1700's. Thousands of worshipers and tourists visit this site every day exploring the 14 chapels, admiring the solid gold religious images, and adoring the priceless tapestries.
Open and unrestricted worship of the Virgin Mary is everywhere present at the Metropolitan Cathedral. Hucksters and peddlers surround the main doors of the building, taking advantage of both poor peasants and wealthy foreign tourists, as they sell cheap religious souvenirs dedicated to veneration of the Virgin.
The National Palace houses the official offices of the President of Mexico and other important leaders. Displayed throughout the building are enormous world famous murals showing scenes from Mexican history. I was astounded at the scenes painted and open for public viewing.
There were representations of the explorer Cortez torturing and murdering native Mexicans under the approving eyes of Roman Catholic priests. Further, there were horrible scenes of torture from the Roman inquisition, as priests used instruments of pain and death upon those who would not exchange their native idols for the idols of Rome. Soon I discovered that the building where the headquarters of the Mexican inquisition occurred was still standing.
The original building was constructed on a demolished Aztec worship center, thus teaching natives that the power of Rome would crush them if they did not convert. This site was used for the torture of Mexicans under supervision of Catholic priests until the mid 1800's.
It was a disturbing thing for my family and me to explore this inquisition building. Much of the original structure still stands, having been reinforced over the centuries. The lovely open courtyard and two stories of beautifully cut stone disguise the horrible original purpose of this facility. Nobody knows how many Mexicans were tortured, maimed or killed in this building over a 300 year period, because they would not be baptized into the Church of Rome. Some paintings showing the instruments of torture were still visible on exterior walls.
OUR LADY OF Guadalupe SHRINE
No survey of mariolatry in Mexico could be complete without a visit to Our Lady of Guadalupe. This shrine, located just outside Mexico City, is the most visited site devoted to Mary in the world. Twenty million people per year adore the Virgin at this spot. Supposedly, a Mexican named Juan Diego in the early 1500's saw an apparition of the Virgin Mary, which left an imprint upon his garment. That garment, with the likeness of the apparition upon it, is worshiped by thousands every day.
We arrived at Guadalupe site late one afternoon, as mass was being said to about two thousand people. The building itself is modem in design, having conveniences such as air conditioning, handicap access and a panoramic seating arrangement. Approaching the shrine, we saw the entrances surrounded by vendors selling flowers, candles and other items to be offered as sacrifices to the Virgin.
Inside the dimly lit shrine there was a spotlight focused on the supposed apparition garment of Juan Diego. The atmosphere was mysterious and imposing, as the congregation enthusiastically chanted prayers to the Virgin in the Spanish language, bowing, weeping and crying out hysterically toward the apparition image. My tour guide escorted me forward, behind the altar, directly under the supposed miracle image. Here under the fetish were three escalators, necessary to keep the crowds moving beneath Mary's assumed likeness on display. People of all ages wept and declared, "Ayudame Maria" (Mary help me).
CONCLUSIONS
My survey of the Mary movement in Mexico showed both similarities and differences between Canadian and United States devotion to Mary and her adoration in Mexican culture. Essentially, Mexican Roman Catholicism and its veneration of Mary is a far more accurate representation of genuine Romanism than is normally found in the US and Canada. There seem to be few if any restraints in Mexican Catholicism in elevating the Virgin to the status of goddess, which appears to be the direction that Rome itself is heading. Further, the control that Roman Catholic beliefs have over the culture in general is virtually unknown in Canada and the U.S., with isolated exceptions.
If one symbol could represent my impression of the Church of Rome in Mexico, it would be the comer monument outside the Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City. There stands an elevated cross upon a pedestal, with a chain wrapped around the bottom of the cross, and four human skulls pointed outward in each direction. My tour guide and local residents I asked could not explain the significance of this unusual monument. To me, it perfectly describes Romanism in Mexico. The cross is kept elevated and separate from the people, chained by idolatry and mariolatry, with death to all who oppose the Church of Rome. This is the historic relationship between Mexico and the Roman Catholic Church.
