The image of Santa Muerte is frequently misunderstood and sensationalized in the United States. Due to her association with drug traffickers in popular media, her image is unfairly deemed as sinister. Additionally, the Catholic Church and other Christian movements continue to depict her as blasphemous and illegitimate. Despite vocal resistance, the controversial folk saint continues to grow in popularity in Mexico, the United States, and Canada. As Western attitudes toward faith and religion evolve and expand, Santa Muerte emerges as a guide to better contextualize the role of faith in the human experience.
Who Is Santa Muerte?
In her native Mexico, Santa Muerte is more formally known as Nuestra Señora de la Santa Muerte, or Our Lady of the Holy Death. Incorrectly characterized as a corruption of Catholicism’s Virgin Mary, the cult of Santa Muerte emerged as a syncretism between Spanish Catholicism and the indigenous belief systems of pre-Columbian Mexico.
The cultural influence of the Spanish Empire is vast and continues to this day across Latin America. However, the roots of the indigenous belief systems originating with the Aztecs and Maya persist to this day. The lasting influence of religion in pre-Columbian Mexico can be seen in many places, but it is arguably most visible when it comes to the worship of Death as a deity.
Christian theology is unique in that it often views death as the absence of salvation. As such, many Christian adherents grow up believing that the image of death is inherently unholy. Conversely, folk and pagan religions across the world understand death as a natural and inevitable part of the human experience. In contrast to its Christian counterparts, the indigenous people of Mexico view death as holy. Santa Muerte synthesizes Catholicism’s reverence for the Virgin Mary and the indigenous belief that death is natural and not to be feared.
Death Personified
Under the lens of Western Christianity, the idea of death incarnate is a chilling proposition. Santa Muerte’s adherents do not see it this way. As a matter of fact, she is associated with peace, protection, and healing. In the same way that adherents of Catholicism appeal to the Virgin Mary for intervention in their lives, Santa Muerte’s devotees go to her in prayer in their time of need. In another example of pre-Columbian influence, Santa Muerte’s followers often bring gifts and light candles for her in their hour of need.
Santa Muerte’s power is in her neutrality. Death is a universal human experience, and therefore, she is not judgmental. While Christian theology does offer the concept of grace, it ultimately divides the world into the saved and the damned. While many find comfort in the Christian tradition, it is not difficult to see how many people feel alienated by Catholic and Protestant belief systems. Santa Muerte’s rise in popularity can be analyzed as a beacon for people who feel unloved and unworthy.
Cult of Crisis
While Santa Muerte’s association with drug trafficking is narrow and one-dimensional, it does reveal truths about our world today. The popularity of Santa Muerte has exploded in tandem with the growing wealth disparities in the Western Hemisphere. Lois Ann Lorentzen explores this idea in an essay entitled Santa Muerte: Saint of The Dispossessed, Enemy of Church and State.
The ongoing bifurcation in developed economies has also produced a divergence in life outcomes. Millions of people feel left behind by the institutions that were meant to protect them, and because the Christian Church is among the West’s most enduring institutions, many people no longer see it as having their best interests in mind. For this reason, Santa Muerte is emerging as a beacon of hope for those who feel marginalized in their daily lives.
As her influence grows, Santa Muerte is likely to attract more fear and controversy. Regardless, devotion to her plays the same role as in any other belief system. Santa Muerte offers a means to understand our world, contextualize our suffering, and hold onto hope for the future.