U.S. Hispanics Choose Churches Outside Catholicism

[Elizabeth502]

In an effort to be constructive, and to slow down the spiraling Blame Game, I’d like to reference an earlier article that appeared in the NYT about this phenomenon. It’s too long for forum rules to quote in its entirety, but the gist of it has very much to do with pervasive cultural differences north and south of the border. The Latin American Catholic Church is a very different experience than the U.S. Catholic Church; we are much more Anglo-oriented, culturally, with a more “European” (reserved, formal) character to our liturgies and even our spirituality.

nytimes.com/1989/05/14/us/switch-by-hispanic-catholics-changes-face-of-us-religion.html

The Church has always been multi-cultural. This is nothing new. Here are some observations from the article I linked:

Although Catholicism has long been an important part of a Hispanic cultural and ethnic identity, Father Elizondo said this bond is sometimes broken by a person’s immigration to the United States, because the Catholicism here is so different from that left behind. Belief in miraculous healing, for instance, is common in Latin American Catholicism, but here it is much easier to find in Pentecostal churches than in Catholic ones…
Father Diaz noted that documents from the Vatican and the American Catholic hierarchy at various levels have identified weaknesses that leave the church open to defections. Some are structural, such as the big parish, the cornerstone of American Catholicism, which is more impersonal and less hospitable than small evangelical Protestant congregations that emphasize direct contact between ministers and their flocks.

Other weaknesses are pastoral, the documents say, like the failure to match the simple and direct spiritual message of evangelical preachers.

So here we have a first set of obstacles:
~different sizes of congregations
~style of ministry (more layered, less intimate, & more intellectual north of border)
~differences in spirituality (integration of folklore into Latin Catholicism; emotional flavor of belief & worship)

The article adds the factor of reduction in vocations after immigration, thus affecting the sense of connectedness & identity.

I will add myself that, having attended liturgies north and south of the border, none of my Anglo peers find the Latin approach appealing or authentic. I’m talking about practice of liturgy, not necessarily what the belief is. To have made such a production and drama out of Good Friday and to have virtually ignored Easter Sunday is not something that washes well in a traditional Roman Catholic Church of European influence. I’m not saying that the Resurrection is not valued and understood, but the relative insignificance of the Easter celebration versus Good Friday was just one of many contrasts that have stood out to me as incompatible with traditional Catholicism as practiced in the U.S.

It is also true that Hispanic priests south of the border resemble in role much more what Irish priests in this country used to enjoy: much more of a connection with families than is true currently north of the border, with priests knowing individual families quite well, being invited into the home regularly, even celebrating baptisms within the home, etc.

cont’d next…

 

[Elizabeth502]

Again, it is not so unusual for immigrants from other lands, as well, to bring a different interpretation of liturgical practices to this country, and slight twists on spirituality. However, in many of those cases, such immigrants have located or “created” (by demographics) a cultural church: French, Polish, Portuguese, Korean, Filipino, and Vietnamese. I have examples of all of these in regions in which I have lived. However, those are all smaller populations, able to cluster within one local church for cultural-linguistic Masses, with a pastor of the same identity, etc. And in all those cases the immigrant populations retain the sense of continuity with Catholicism.

There are indeed Hispanic parishes in this country, but not enough to accommodate the several million Catholics who have immigrated. And it is unrealistic for anyone here to expect that. Not only are there not enough native Hispanic priests (again, what the article brings out), but in addition, our other priests are already taxed beyond retirement age to serve more universal needs. Other parishes have had the luxury of being flexible enough to have a Hispanic ministry within the parish, such as one priest with a shared assignment in another parish, and/or a small parish ministry with occasional (weekly or monthly but not daily) Spanish Masses, etc.

The article brings out another difference, which is practical ministry to the poor (food, housing assistance, etc.). This is obviously a task of the universal Catholic Church as well – a commandment (clearly). The Church does already minister to the poor. If I can locate one complaint in the article which I can agree with and can envision changes, it would be a reduction in the bureaucracy of these social services. Right now, the Church tends to concentrate on “organizational” help: Catholic Relief Services, other Catholic charities, and lots of domestic and international missionary work to various cultural groups (some of which include U.S. Hispanics). That fact supports the “impersonal” charge, and the absence of a more “direct” ministry to the poor. (Just personally I also think it reflects the tendency of the Church to try to be perhaps too many things, internationally, to too many people.) In one of my local parishes, we do have a strong program for the local poor & homeless, but I have to tell you that none of those are Hispanic, simply by accident. They are mostly white and mentally ill; a few are black, and it is not in a Hispanic neighborhood.

However, when it comes to the style of the mainstream, mixed-population U.S. Catholic Churches, one of the recent trends has been an increase in formality, which is definitely at odds with the dominant preferences of Hispanic immigrants of the lower-middle-class especially. And as to sizes of congregations producing comfort or discomfort for immigrants, some of this is out of the control of the official Church, due to closing of churches, cluster parishes, and low ratio of priests to their congregations.

Finally, it’s important to look at the big picture: the Hispanic population has not suffered the rate of attrition (it would seem) that the Anglo population of U.S. Catholics has.

 

[Agnikan]

Hispanics also come from cultures in which the scientific materialism of the West has not yet become dominant. This explains the success of Pentecostalism. It also explains why, among Hispanic Catholics in the U.S. (compared to non-Hispanic Catholics), there is a greater prevalence of belief in ideas like the presence of spiritual energy in nature (52%), reincarnation (53%), and yoga as spiritual practice (42%).

 

[Holly3278]

I just wonder if these people aren’t looking more for entertainment than anything else.

 

[westerly]

My wife converted to an evangelical church (7th Day Adventist) before we met. I’ve been to their services a few times, though it’s a trial, as it’s carried out in her native language.

     Having grown up in New England, I'm comfortable with the heavy Irish/Italian influence in the Catholic church. I was completely unprepared for a visit to a Brazilian Catholic church. It was a thoroughly awful experience for me, and made me ashamed of what the Church allows in South America. True pagan influence is VERY strong in the church there, and practices that lie far outside orthodox behavior are allowed. The influence of Candomble, a variant of Voodoo, is very strong in churches in the Northeast regions of Brazil. Corruption and graft are somewhat more culturally accepted in Brazil anyhow, but the Brazilian church sets a seriously low standard, being perhaps slightly less corrupt than the local government. Vows are not kept particularly well, and there are a LOT of unacknowledged children out there being raised by housekeepers in the rectory.

Anyhow, between the shameful behaviors, corruption and political powermongering among the Catholic church in Brazil, there’s no way that anyone with half a brain can respect the organization that makes it all possible. Truly, it was awful to witness for me.
There is no possible way to make a better environment for conversion to a faith that adheres to more strict codes of behavior and Christian living by example, in comparison with what they experience as business as usual in our South American church.
just some food for thought.