Right now I just finished watching the DVD on it. It’s quite an eye opener. It kind of reminds me of Maximon down in Guatemala. But the two have definte differences.
It’s kind of explanatory; this Saint Death is for people who the Church rejects: homosexuals, transvestites, gangsters, prisoners (but only about 20%), drug addicts, etc. These are people that have clung to the evil way of life. They got into their situations by following temptation. No surprise the saint looks like the Grim Reaper/Death with a scythe. I’m not really surprised by it, I just feel sad for the younger village kids who are born into it. Although the indiginious Mexicans say that it’s Holy, make the Sign of the Cross when they begin and end their prayers to her, and call her a saint, it’s not bound in Heaven. There was never a living Saint Death. They are praying to emptiness, and it’s only God’s mecy that is granting those favors they attribute to the saint. Evil steps into vacuums. And, although the village people claim it’s not satanic, it gets real, real close to it. Closer to it than to Holiness. But, understand that it shares a lot of imagery with El Dia De Los Muertes, “Day of the Dead”, The feast day is related to it. Also, the official statue was introduced to the public on midnight October 31st. It’s one of those blurs of religion -and folk tales -and pagan roots (the Aztec Death Goddess).
I honestly don’t think American Catholics understand it though. Those people live in a highly violent society, they will cling to anything resembling safety, The Mexicans infuse their Catholicism with a small trace of their pagan past. This is understandable though, for one, it’s only been less than 500 years, whereas european contries have been Catholic for a thousand or more years. And for two, Mexico is very remote compared to other Catholic countries. And being partially third world, communication is less than other developed countries. In short, they’ve had to manage on their own in some villages. I think Pope Benedict XVI see’s this. I’m glad he’s going to visit Mexico. It’s very important he shows his presence. The Mexican people need this. As it is, they feel like their government has let them down. They need something positive to embrace. The Pope’s visit will be spectacular.
As for Saint Death’s differences with Guatemala’s Maximon, who can creep out some people, like my Mom who saw him in person, the two are examples of local Catholic-pagan fusion. Saint Death has no past, a man showed up with a skeleton, dressed it with a wig and dress, and people slowly started to revere it. It spread by word of mouth. There is a prayer that resembles a litany, but they basically inserted the “Saint Death - - Pray for us.” into a litany for Mary. The rejects of the Faith have embraced Saint Death, Even the locals know she’s not in the same manner as a normal Catholic Saint. She’s an outsider, for outsiders.
Saint Maximon in Guatemala is a different story. He does have a long past, that stretches into Guatemala’s pagan roots. The story of his origin is very pagan. It involves villagers determined to make a wooden man that will chase away the evil spirits. So the villagers go out into the forest and talk to the trees. They ask the trees one by one, “Would you mind if we cut you down and made a wooden man to drive away evil spirits?” FInally they get a tree that says yes. So they make the wooden man, Maximon. But then, after the wooden man chases away the evil spirits, he starts to seduce and corrupt the young girls of the villages. So they have to keep him tied up, and I think, with his legs broken off, so the village women will be safe. So, they have him there with no legs on a bench, this wooden statue.
He’s kind of like a playboy man’s man, hard-drinker/smoker guy. The men pray to him. They set whiskey in front of him, pour it in his mouth, and put lit cigars in his mouth. He’s a friendly old good guy image, not anyone that a homosexual or transvestite would prayer to like Saint Death.
