Catholicism in Mexico

Jesus, originally uploaded by termeern.

In my Mexican travels, I have learned a lot about the culture of the indigenous Mexicans and the Spaniards. The indigenous Mexicans, or indians, had a holy number of four which was represented by the cross. The four pointed symbol was a sign of the sun and its four movements during the day: morning, mid-day, afternoon, and night. When the Spaniards came to this native land, they originally thought that this land had been conquered due to the fact that they thought that Catholicism had already reached them.

In a land of people that fought for so long to keep their individuality against European cultures and religions, Catholicism is a major part of the current culture. When learning more about the indians and how they were conquered, it saddens me to think of how these Spaniards forced this onto the people and forced their culture onto a new people.

Diego Rivera was very indifferent about the Catholic Church and what it stood for in Mexico. Rivera's stance was that they raped the Indians of their belief system and forced their own upon them. Rivera thought that the Catholic Church was to blame for the downfall of Mexico. Rivera was a openly large supporter of the Socialist party, and he said that the corrupt Church was going to tear down the country as a whole. He thought that throughout the years, the Church has only brought turmoil over the land. It brought nothing but , tears, hurt, pain, separation, and death since Catholicism first came to this wonderful land.

If this is what some Mexicans see the Catholic Church as, why is it so loved? Just a thought...

n.tm