Folk Catholicism
Encyclopedia
Folk Catholicism is any of various varieties of Catholicism
as actually practiced in Catholic communities around the world. Practices that are identified by outside observers as "folk Catholicism" vary from place to place, and often vary as well from official Roman Catholic Church
doctrine.
Some forms of folk Catholic practices are based on syncretism
with non-Catholic beliefs and may involve the syncretism of Catholic saints and non-Christian deities. Some of these folk Catholic forms have come to be identified as separate religions, as is the case with Caribbean and Brazilian syncretisms between Catholicism and West African religions, which include Haitian Vodou, Cuban Santería
, and Brazilian Candomblé
. Similarly complex syncretisms between Catholic practice and indigenous or Native American belief systems, as are common in Maya
communities of Guatemala
and Quechua communities of Peru
to give just two of many examples, are typically not named as separate religions; their practitioners generally regard themselves as "good Catholics."
Other folk Catholic practices are local elaborations of Catholic custom, and do not contradict orthodox Catholic doctrine. Examples of such practices include compadrazgo
in modern Latin America, which developed from standard medieval European Catholic practices that fell out of favor in Europe after the seventeenth century, the veneration
of Saint
s and angel
s that aren't officially venerated in Catholicism, generally from the apocryphal books
, such as Uriel the Archangel from the Apocalypse of Ezra (2 Esdras
or 4 Ezra depending on naming convention), and ritual pilgrimage
s in medieval and modern Europe. Modern folk Catholic beliefs and practices include miracle stories about priests in Ireland, stories about apparitions of the Virgin Mary and other saints in Spain, and folk practices surrounding vows to saints in Latin America and Europe.
Folk Catholic practices occur everywhere that Catholicism is a major religion, not only in the often-cited cases of Latin America and the West Indies. Folk accommodations between orthodox Catholicism and local beliefs can be found in Gaelic Scotland, the Philippines, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, and Poland. See folk religion
.
The Roman church takes a pragmatic stance towards folk Catholicism, and may often declare Marian apparitions and similar miracles "worthy of belief" (e.g. Our Lady of Fatima
), or will confirm the cult of local saints, without actually endorsing or recommending belief.
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
as actually practiced in Catholic communities around the world. Practices that are identified by outside observers as "folk Catholicism" vary from place to place, and often vary as well from official Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
doctrine.
Some forms of folk Catholic practices are based on syncretism
Syncretism
Syncretism is the combining of different beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term means "combining", but see below for the origin of the word...
with non-Catholic beliefs and may involve the syncretism of Catholic saints and non-Christian deities. Some of these folk Catholic forms have come to be identified as separate religions, as is the case with Caribbean and Brazilian syncretisms between Catholicism and West African religions, which include Haitian Vodou, Cuban Santería
Santería
Santería is a syncretic religion of West African and Caribbean origin influenced by Roman Catholic Christianity, also known as Regla de Ocha, La Regla Lucumi, or Lukumi. Its liturgical language, a dialect of Yoruba, is also known as Lucumi....
, and Brazilian Candomblé
Candomblé
Candomblé is an African-originated or Afro-Brazilian religion, practised chiefly in Brazil by the "povo de santo" . It originated in the cities of Salvador, the capital of Bahia and Cachoeira, at the time one of the main commercial crossroads for the distribution of products and slave trade to...
. Similarly complex syncretisms between Catholic practice and indigenous or Native American belief systems, as are common in Maya
Maya peoples
The Maya people constitute a diverse range of the Native American people of southern Mexico and northern Central America. The overarching term "Maya" is a collective designation to include the peoples of the region who share some degree of cultural and linguistic heritage; however, the term...
communities of Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
and Quechua communities of Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
to give just two of many examples, are typically not named as separate religions; their practitioners generally regard themselves as "good Catholics."
Other folk Catholic practices are local elaborations of Catholic custom, and do not contradict orthodox Catholic doctrine. Examples of such practices include compadrazgo
Compadre
The compadre relationship between the parents and godparents of a child is an important bond which originates when a child is baptized in Hispanic families...
in modern Latin America, which developed from standard medieval European Catholic practices that fell out of favor in Europe after the seventeenth century, the veneration
Veneration
Veneration , or veneration of saints, is a special act of honoring a saint: an angel, or a dead person who has been identified by a church committee as singular in the traditions of the religion. It is practiced by the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic, and Eastern Catholic Churches...
of Saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s and angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
s that aren't officially venerated in Catholicism, generally from the apocryphal books
Apocrypha
The term apocrypha is used with various meanings, including "hidden", "esoteric", "spurious", "of questionable authenticity", ancient Chinese "revealed texts and objects" and "Christian texts that are not canonical"....
, such as Uriel the Archangel from the Apocalypse of Ezra (2 Esdras
2 Esdras
2 Esdras or Latin Esdras is the name of an apocalyptic book in many English versions of the Bible . Its authorship is ascribed to Ezra. It is reckoned among the Apocrypha by many Protestant churches. Although Second Esdras exists in its complete form only in Latin, it was originally written in...
or 4 Ezra depending on naming convention), and ritual pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
s in medieval and modern Europe. Modern folk Catholic beliefs and practices include miracle stories about priests in Ireland, stories about apparitions of the Virgin Mary and other saints in Spain, and folk practices surrounding vows to saints in Latin America and Europe.
Folk Catholic practices occur everywhere that Catholicism is a major religion, not only in the often-cited cases of Latin America and the West Indies. Folk accommodations between orthodox Catholicism and local beliefs can be found in Gaelic Scotland, the Philippines, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, and Poland. See folk religion
Folk religion
Folk religion consists of ethnic or regional religious customs under the umbrella of an organized religion, but outside of official doctrine and practices...
.
The Roman church takes a pragmatic stance towards folk Catholicism, and may often declare Marian apparitions and similar miracles "worthy of belief" (e.g. Our Lady of Fatima
Our Lady of Fatima
Our Lady of Fátima is a famous title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary as she appeared in apparitions reported by three shepherd children at Fátima in Portugal. These occurred on the 13th day of six consecutive months in 1917, starting on May 13...
), or will confirm the cult of local saints, without actually endorsing or recommending belief.