I recently took a trip to central Mexico, where we celebrated our son’s marriage to a woman whose parents immigrated to the US from this region in the State of Michoacán. With our upcoming Unity Gallery and Showcase theme of “One Humanity, Many Stories,” I thought it would be interesting to delve a bit into the spirituality of this area.
The Catholic Church was brought to Mexico by the Spanish conquest in 1519-21, along with the Spanish language. Spanish conquistadors may have conquered and converted Mexico to Catholicism and a belief in one true God, but the vestiges of old beliefs remain deeply embedded in this country. Prior to this, several powerful empires ruled the region, particularly between A.D. 100-900. Unique religions arose in the Olmec, Toltec, Mayan and Aztec Empires. By the early 1500s, the Aztec Empire controlled large portions of land now lying within the modern nation of Mexico. However, far from being left apart and forgotten, many ancient deities were incorporated by the Mexican religion, creating a unique view of the Catholic faith. Nowadays, those deities can be found under several forms, and the rituals worshipping them are present as well.
One central theme of the early Aztec religion in Mexico involved viewing life and death as an integral part of human existence. We witnessed the continuation of this belief, as my daughter-in-law’s family celebrated the anniversary of her grandfather’s death with a band and party at the cemetery! How refreshing, compared to the general fear of death seen in the US! Several unique rituals were also incorporated into my son’s Catholic wedding ceremony that are not practiced in American Catholicism, and the 480-year-old cathedral was certainly magnificent and filled with ornate and gold-encrusted artifacts.
Over the centuries, the Catholic Church has had to adapt and adopt a blend of indigenous and folk religious practices in order to take root and survive, yet I heard tell from the U.S. priest who performed the wedding ceremony, that Catholicism is struggling in Mexico due to their unwillingness to work FOR the people, and instead, working to control their followers’ lives. In the end, I felt privileged to be a part of and witness how the people of this region practice their faith, and I’ve gained new perspective on what Unity means to me in the process.
Beth Schwartz, Board President
