Mexico's Roman Catholic Church criticizes Halloween

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From the Winston-Salem Journal

“Those who celebrate Halloween are worshipping a culture of death that is the product of a mix of pagan customs,” the Archdiocese of Mexico said in an article on its Web site yesterday. “The worst thing is that this celebration has been identified with neo-pagans, Satanism and occult worship.”
Didn’t I read something like that in a Jack Chick tract?
 
Timidity said:
From the Winston-Salem Journal

“Those who celebrate Halloween are worshipping a culture of death that is the product of a mix of pagan customs,” the Archdiocese of Mexico said in an article on its Web site yesterday. “The worst thing is that this celebration has been identified with neo-pagans, Satanism and occult worship.”
Didn’t I read something like that in a Jack Chick tract?
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If you did, it would be one of the few things Jack has at least partially correct. All Hallow’s Eve used to be holy day prior to a holy day of obligation. Now it is largely a rather grotesque money-making bonanza celebrating ghoulishness and death, a far cry from the authentic meaning of the day.

It is at least mildly disturbing that more people associate Halloween with the release of the latest big budget tortureporn film than associate it with a memorial for the saints in Heaven.

– Mark L. Chance.
 
mlchance said:
It is at least mildly disturbing that more people associate Halloween with the release of the latest big budget tortureporn film than associate it with a memorial for the saints in Heaven.
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I thought Halloween was All Souls’ Day, not All Saints’ Day. Wouldn’t that mean that Halloween is a memorial for those NOT in Heaven–i.e. those on Earth and in Hell?
 
I wonder if there will be a similar condemnation of “Day of the Dead” because of the mixture of paganism.

I wouldn’t hold my breathe waiting for it though. :rolleyes:
 
mlchance said:
If you did, it would be one of the few things Jack has at least partially correct. All Hallow’s Eve used to be holy day prior to a holy day of obligation. Now it is largely a rather grotesque money-making bonanza celebrating ghoulishness and death, a far cry from the authentic meaning of the day.

It is at least mildly disturbing that more people associate Halloween with the release of the latest big budget tortureporn film than associate it with a memorial for the saints in Heaven.

– Mark L. Chance.
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I think it actually varies in the celebration. For little kids it is a rather grotesque candy-fest, and the costumes are much less death related. I like Michael Medved’s protest - it teaches kids to go begging door-to-door. 😛

Teens and some adults tend to get more into the ghoulishness and death. Most adults, if they celebrate it, generally dress up for work and/or go to a drunken party.

Overall, I agree that it is far away from its roots. In our parish, we have a vigil prayer service, bbq and then trunk-or-treat. The kids all dress as saints and the trunks are decorated with light (not too ghoulish) halloween decoration. This is our first year doing it, so I am hopeful that we will break the Halloween cycle for my younger kids. My teens will be attending the vigil, but they have opted out of the trunk/treat.
 
dawgfan said:
I wonder if there will be a similar condemnation of “Day of the Dead” because of the mixture of paganism.

I wouldn’t hold my breathe waiting for it though. :rolleyes:
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Actually, if you read the linked article, you see that they are calling for a return to the traditional celebration.
 
Timidity said:
I thought Halloween was All Souls’ Day, not All Saints’ Day. Wouldn’t that mean that Halloween is a memorial for those NOT in Heaven–i.e. those on Earth and in Hell?
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31 October is the evening before All Saint’s Day. IOW, it is All Hallow’s Eve. It has the same relationship to All Saint’s Day as Christmas Eve has to Christmas Day. All Soul’s Day is 2 November. It is a commemoration of all the faithful departed, whether they be in Purgatory or in Heaven. There is no feast day reserved for those in Hell.

– Mark L. Chance.
 
I don’t think that 99.9% of people even consider the religious overtones. It is just a lot of fun.
 
For 99.999% of North America its just day to have some fun with the things that scare us. They might as well condemn the pagan roots of the Christmas. Hallowe’en in America is fully secularized. I just hope the beer makers will leave it alone.
 
the burden of the bishop’s criticism about Mexicans celebrating Halloween lies in the fact that this is an import from US popular culture, and is blurring or destroying Mexican cultural traditions surrounding All Saints and All Souls (Day of the Dead), through which the doctrines of the communion of saints, purgatory etc. have been taught so successfully to the faithful.
 
OriginalJS said:
I don’t think that 99.9% of people even consider the religious overtones. It is just a lot of fun.
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Much less 99.9% of kids. The kids just want a sugar fix. 🙂 (I remember my sister and I dividing up our candy so we could have our favorite treats)
 
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