What is "popular piety"?

Question

This is a term used in a paper I'm writing that I don't really understand. It should have to do with Chritian (Catholic) perception of God, and Jesus from 12th to 15th centuries.

Answer 1

Popular piety is religious expression (piety) that comes from and is nurtured by the people (popular, as in, from the population). It isn't something that the heirarchy come up with.

One example would be the Via Dolorosa / Way of the Cross / Stations of the Cross. As Christianity spread, it became harder and harder for people to make pilgrimages and walk Jesus' last steps with him. (Not to mention the destruction of the locations.) So people created what you might call a "virtual walk" to use as a tool for prayer and remembrance. The current version used by Catholics has 14 (or 15, but that's another matter) stations, but at different times, the number has been greater and less. The stations themselves also grew out of tradition. For instance, we don't see the three falls of Jesus mentioned in the Gospels.

Other forms of popular piety include devotions to the cross, crown of thorn, and nails; the rosary (most Marian practices), the Advent wreath, and the creche, or nativity scene. One of their strengths is that they are so very genuine as they grow out of the experiences of the people. One of their weaknesses is that without proper understanding of some basic Catholic (and Christian) beliefs, they can start reflecting things that aren't in line with the church's teaching. People who think Catholics worship Mary have probably witnessed a couple of misguided expressions of popular piety around the Blessed Mother.

Hope this helps steer you in the right direction.

Answer 2

Piety Def

Answer 3

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RE:
What is "popular piety"?
This is a term used in a paper I'm writing that I don't really understand. It should have to do with Chritian (Catholic) perception of God, and Jesus from 12th to 15th centuries.

Answer 4

Popular piety refers to the way people express their personal reverence or devotion to God or the saints, in addition to the ceremonies of the Sacred Liturgy.

Answer 5

Popular piety is one of the best examples of genuine inculturation of faith, because it is a harmonious blend of faith and liturgy, feelings and art, and the recognition of our identity in local traditions… Popular piety is evidence of the osmosis that takes place between the innovative power of the Gospel and the deepest levels of culture. It is one of the foremost opportunities for people to meet the living Christ. There is a need for a constant pastoral discernment of popular piety as it evolves, in order to discover its genuine spiritual values and bring them to fruition in Christ ‘so that … it might lead to a sincere conversion and a practical exercise of charity’. Popular piety is the way a people expresses its faith and its relationship to God and His Providence, to Our Lady and the saints, to one’s neighbor, to those who have died or to creation, and it strengthens its belonging to the Church. Purifying and catechizing expressions of popular piety can, in certain regions, be a decisive element for an in-depth evangelization to support and develop a true community awareness in the sharing of faith, particularly through the demonstration of the religiosity of the People of God as in the celebration of major religious feasts (Lumen Gentium, 67; Pastoral Approach to Culture, pp. 54-55).



A renewed life of worship will also mean the critical and fervent use of popular religious practices. These religious practices are rich in values. They manifest a thirst for God and enable people to be generous and sacrificing in witnessing to their faith. These practices show a deep awareness of the attributes of God: fatherhood, providence, loving and constant presence. They endanger attitudes of patience, the sense of the Cross in daily life, detachment, openness to others, devotion. PCP II, 172; EN , 80)

But we need to foster these popular religious practices in such a way that they do not become distortions of religion or remain in the level of superficial forms of worship, but become rather true expression of faith.

We must continue to foster devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. From the beginning of our evangelization as a people, devotion to her has helped spread, foster and protect our faith. But we must make sure that devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the other saints are seen in relationship with, and in subordination to Christ, the one Mediator between God and humankind. In practice the saints and the Blessed Virgin Mary seem to preoccupy the attention of many of the faithful more than Christ does. Our pastoral practice must ensure that the Catholic religion does not become saint or Mary-centered but that it always remains Christ-centered.

Towards popular religious practices, our attitude has to be one of critical respect, encouragement and renewal. They must lead to liturgy. They have to be vitally related to Filipino life, and serve the cause of full human development, justice, peace, and the integrity of creation. We must have the courage to correct what leads to fanaticism or maintains people infantile in their faith. We must not give members of other faith reasons for impugning the true faith. At the same time, seeing how many of our people cherish these religious practices, we must see them as vehicles of evangelization towards worship in Spirit and truth. (PCP II, 172)

Answer 6

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