New Mexico archbishop again denounces ‘Santa Muerte’

By RUSSELL CONTRERAS
March 24, 2019

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico archbishop is renewing his call for Catholics to stop worshipping the skeleton folk saint known as La Santa Muerte, or “Our Lady of Holy Death,” saying he fears some mistakenly believe the Grim Reaper-like figure is a Roman Catholic Church-sanctioned saint.

Santa Fe Archbishop John Wester recently told The Associated Press he believes some Catholics may be fooled into venerating Santa Muerte even though the focus on death runs counter to the church’s teachings.

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Popular in Mexico and sometimes linked to drug cartels, La Santa Muerte in recent years has found a diverse following north of the border: immigrant small-business owners, artists, gay activists and the poor, among others — many of them non-Latinos and not all involved with organized religion. Shrines and statues of the skeleton figure — typically depicted wearing a black nun’s robe and holding a scythe — can be found in New Mexico, California, Louisiana, Texas and elsewhere.

People pray to Santa Muerte for all manner of otherworldly help, from fending off wrongdoing and exacting revenge to landing better jobs and stopping lovers from cheating. Others seek her protection for their drug shipments and to ward off law enforcement.

Wester is one of only a handful of U.S. Roman Catholic bishops who have denounced Santa Muerte. In 2017, he joined El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz and San Angelo Bishop Michael Sis in Texas in urging Catholics to avoid honoring to the folk saint.

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