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U.S. NEWS Monday 25 March 2019

New Mexico archbishop again denounces ‘Santa Muerte’

in Texas in urging Catholics officials have publicly criti- Muerte almost weekly,”
to avoid honoring to the cized the worshipping of Chesnut said. Chesnut said
folk saint. Santa Muerte, according he believes U.S. Catholic of-
Sis said La Santa Muerte is to Andrew Chesnut, au- ficials have been reluctant
“spiritually dangerous” and thor of “Devoted to Death: to aggressively attack San-
has no link to Catholicism. Santa Muerte, the Skeleton ta Muerte because of their
“It should be completely Saint” and Bishop Walter focus on defending mi-
avoided. It is a perversion F. Sullivan chair in Catho- grants’ rights and concerns
of devotion to the saints,” lic studies at Virginia Com- about portraying Mexican
Sis said. monwealth University. immigrants as “dangerous
In this Feb. 19, 2017 file photo, a child arranges statues of La But so far no other high- “In Latin America, church and all connected to drug
Santa Muerte, or “Our Lady of Holy Death,” on the edge of ranking Catholic church officials rebuke Santa trafficking.”q
Mexico City’s Tepito neighborhood.
Associated Press
By RUSSELL CONTRERAS sometimes linked to drug
Associated Press cartels, La Santa Muerte
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) in recent years has found
— A New Mexico arch- a diverse following north
bishop is renewing his call of the border: immigrant
for Catholics to stop wor- small-business owners, art-
shipping the skeleton folk ists, gay activists and the
saint known as La Santa poor, among others —
Muerte, or “Our Lady of many of them non-Latinos
Holy Death,” saying he and not all involved with
fears some mistakenly be- organized religion.
lieve the Grim Reaper-like Shrines and statues of the
figure is a Roman Catholic skeleton figure — typically
Church-sanctioned saint. depicted wearing a black
Santa Fe Archbishop John nun’s robe and holding a
Wester recently told The scythe — can be found in
Associated Press he be- New Mexico, California,
lieves some Catholics may Louisiana, Texas and else-
be fooled into venerating where.
Santa Muerte even though People pray to Santa
the focus on death runs Muerte for all manner of
counter to the church’s otherworldly help, from
teachings. fending off wrongdoing
“It’s really wrong,” Wester and exacting revenge to
said. “I think in part, it’s (be- landing better jobs and
cause) people are looking stopping lovers from cheat-
and searching. It’s a symp- ing. Others seek her pro-
tom of a search looking for tection for their drug ship-
answers.” ments and to ward off law
But the devotion to death is enforcement.
not in line with the church’s Wester is one of only a
teachings, Wester said, and handful of U.S. Roman
Santa Muerte is misleading Catholic bishops who have
to people. denounced Santa Muerte.
“Our devotion is to the God In 2017, he joined El Paso
of life,” Wester said. Bishop Mark Seitz and San
Popular in Mexico and Angelo Bishop Michael Sis