Religion in Latin America was carved from a blend of Spanish colonial Catholicism and indigenous super natural practices. The story of a Death Comes for the Archbishop represents the general struggle that the Roman Catholic Church experienced during the religious “reconquest” of America post 1820’s. The story follows a French Priest, Father Latour, and his attempt to bring back the Catholic religion to the southwestern part of America. Although the story is fictional it brings to the forefront several key problems that the Catholic Church went through trying to reassert its control. The ethnic diversity, local religious traditions, and politics of the region presented a completely insurmountable hurdle for the Roman Catholic Church to clear in its attempt to recapture its dominance in the religion of the region. …show more content…
The position of priests in the Americas during this time was seen by most people as godly heads of state who tended to be almighty. The one figure that represents the true issue of politics in this region would be Father Martinez. Father Martinez was able to sway a group of Indians to revolt against the government eventually leading to there deaths, but prior to there deaths he swayed the Indians to sign over their worldly possession to him making him one of the richest men in the region. Wealth gained loyal followers in this area during this time. Considering Priests not only were wealthy but also had the indigenous people backing them, the efforts of the Catholic Church could only push against these corrupt leaders to an extent before their loyal followers would turn against the church. This is seen when Father Martinez is forced out of priesthood and creates his own church that people flock
To begin with, it must be remembered that Catholic culture and Catholic faith, while mutually supportive and symbiotic, are not the same thing. Mr. Walker Percy, in his Lost in the Cosmos, explored the difference, and pointed out that, culturally, Catholics in Cleveland are much more Protestant than Presbyterians in say, Taos, New Orleans, or the South of France. Erik, Ritter von Kuehnelt-Leddihn, points out that the effects of this dichotomy upon politics, attributing the multi-party system in Catholic countries to the Catholic adherence to absolutes; he further ascribes the two-party system to the Protestant willingness to compromise. However this may be, it does point up a constant element in Catholic thought---the pursuit of the absolute.
In Willa Cather's Death Comes for the Archbishop, the heroic ideal whose definition began with Moby-Dick is again viewed. Father LaTour is clearly seen as having an elevated status, concern and understanding for the people, and a desire to make a lasting mark on the land that becomes his home. These characteristics were seen in differing ways in both Ahab and Jo in Little Women. In The Red Badge of Courage, the concept of courage in the hero was addressed. This quality too is seen in Father LaTour. Father Vaillant also displays many of these characteristics. Both priests are fully consecrated, they just live it out differently. They have committed themselves to self-sacrifice for the sake of those whom they seek to serve and exhibit strong inner courage in the setting aside of self. However, Father Vaillant's very presence has hinged upon the influence of Father LaTour in his life, thus ultimately pointing back to Father LaTour s the heroic figure in the novel.
Robert Laurence Moore has written a delightful, enlightening, and provocative survey of American church history centered around the theme of "mixing" the "sacred" with the "secular" and vice versa. The major points of conversation covered include the polarization caused by the public display of religious symbols, the important contribution that women and Africans have made to the American religious mosaic, the harmony and friction that has existed between science and religion, the impact of immigration on religious pluralism, and the twin push toward the union and separation of religion and politics.
Hilton, Ronald. “MEXICO: The Murder of Cardinal Juan Jesus Posadas Ocampo (1993).” Webmaster. N.p., 6 June 2003. Web. 15 April 2014.
The study of religion is often a rigorous process because the central tenets of the subject: image, ritual, and myth are often copious in their complexity. For example, consider the multiple meanings that are inherent in the image of a crucifix. Some Christians might view it as an image of suffering, whilst others would reject that notion and instead perceive it to be one of love. These differences may seem inconsequential at first, but they can overtime shape the beliefs of an individual and by extension a community. To understand this dynamic better one only has to analyze the Christo Aparecido (Christ Appeared), an authentic Mexican crucifix with a fascinating history from the colonial era to the present. This history is made known by the text, Biography of a Mexican Crucifix: Lived Religion and Local Faith from the Conquest to the Present by Jennifer Hughes, from which I contend that over the life of the Christo Aparecido there continues to be an understanding among devotees that this crucifix is sacred because it displays animus while being a vestige for the sacred to occupy. To support my position I will attempt to relate the moments where the Christo Aparecido is said to show signs of life, in particular his stay in Mexico City during the colonial era and his role in more modern times with rival groups clashing over its efficacy in the village of Totolapan.
In a 1927 letter, Willa Cather wrote that her book, Death Comes for the Archbishop, that "many of the reviews of this book begin with the statement: 'This book is hard to classify.' Then why bother? Many more assert vehemently that it is not a novel. Myself, I prefer to call it a narrative." (On Writing 12).
The focus of this book is Sacred Heart of Jesus Church and Parish in Montegut, Louisiana, and the outline of the book follows the tenure of each priest. However, I could not write about Sacred Heart without writing about Montegut, Bourg, and Little Caillou. The book follows the church parish boundaries and as each new parish is created, the focus remains with the priest of Sacred Heart.
Gaustad, Edwin S. The Religious History of America: The Heart of the American Story from Colonial Times to Today. N.p.: HarperOne, 2004. Print.
‘La Compania’ was the most controversial church ever made in Peru. It all started when the archbishop of Cusco debated that the Jesuit church should not up stage the Cusco Cathedral. To settle the argument Pope Paul III had to intervene. The Pope agreed with the archbishop, but the message did not reach Peru immediately. The delay gave the Jesuits a lot of time to finish their glamorous church.
Guerra constantly experienced an internal turmoil within the Catholic Church. Of all things he was certain of, Mr. Guerra knew that he was crafted by his maker’s hands with love and not hatred. Accordingly, Mr. Guerra strove for that same equality he felt, but did not see preached within his religious community. With a bold determination, he left the Catholic Church knowing that he was not growing his spirituality, only his doubts. After being away from the church, Mr. Guerra realized that religion only created walls for his spiritual connection with the Lord. Relieved by his epiphany, Mr. Guerra slowly began stripping his unknown prejudices the Catholic Church encoded within him. With an open mind and honest intentions, Mr. Guerra was ready for his collegiate
The Roman Catholic Church was trying to find a way to have the communities be part of the church through attending services once a week. During this time of French history, going against the Roman Catholic Church could have lead to imprisonment or even death. But, it shows just how one woman was able to take Miguel De Molino ideas and translate them into her own life. Through her book, one is able to practice Quietism, as the Spanish theologian had wanted other people to practice. A Short and Easy Method of Prayer also shows how ideas spread further and wider at the turn of the
Although the church was gaining a big role in Mexico during the early nineteenth century, it did face some hardships. For instance, after Mexico declared independence the amount of priests greatly declined. The lack of priests and was caused by the continued doing away with Spanish clergy (pg. 71). Another cause for the lack of religious workers was due to the rise in other careers during this period of time and the extremely low number of bishops, which meant that they could not ordain new priests (pg. 72).
Nardo, Don . The Inquisition . The United States of America: Lucent Books, 2008. Print.
The Story of Christianity is a very informative summation; a continuation of Volume 1 which covered the beginning of the church up to the Protestant Reformation, while Vol. 2 dealt with the Protestant Reformation up to more modern time period. This author delivers a more comprehensive and deeper look into the development of Christianity, which includes particular events which had transpired throughout the world; particularly how Christianity has expanded into Central and South America. Gonzalez opens up this book with the “Call for Reformation,” where he shares with his readers the need for reform; the papacy had started to decline and was corrupt, in addition to the Great Schism, which had further weakened the papacy (p.8). The author explains how the church was not the only issue but that the church’s teachings were off track as well, seeing that the people had deviated from...
This could be a result of so much territory with so little resources equals heresy and abuse. For most of Latin history, however, the number of priests has been insufficient to effectively minister to all the people. Religious vacuums have thus been created, especially in rural areas and on the outskirts of urban areas. Anthony Gill, who describes the religious economy of Latin America, writes, “The evangelization mission of the Catholic Church, to ensure all members of the population were inextricably bound to Catholicism, suffered due to the simple dynamics of restricted supply under a monopolized religious market” (1). People, rather than traveling great distances to visit a priest, turned to various forms of folk Catholicism to solve everyday issues regarding sickness, financial gain or loss, and romance.