Roman Catholics - Question about Mary?

Question

Why do Catholics in Latin America have a stronger relationship (in comparison to other Catholics) with the Virgin Mary? Any significance to this?

I do know Catholics in the US and other places hold Mary dear, but for example it is more common to hear "Our Lady of Guadalupe" than "Our Lady of Lourdes" or "Our Lady of Fatima," you know?

P.S. Catholics are Christians, Sarge. http://www.catholic.org/saints/faq.php is a nice place to read up on Saints and Mary. :)

Answer 1

I think it may have to do with the general demographics and especially the history of the various countries more than anything else. Christianity was brought to South and Central America by Catholic missionaries for the most part. Despite vicious persecutions of the Catholic Church in Mexico, the Catholic faith remains significant both culturally and religiously in most of Latin America. In North America, it was Protestants that dominated the culture and Catholics were looked down on from the very begining.

So culturally, I distinctively Catholic faith practices are more widely accepted in Latin America. If you have a rosary in your hand you are unlikely to have a Catholics-are-idolators variety Protestant jump out from behind a bush and make you explain that you are asking Mary to pray FOR you and that it's a meditation on the Gospel yada, yada, yada in Latin America. I think in the United States, Catholics have just become more circumspect about Catholic distinctives to avoid unnecessary confrontations with those who don't understand the Catholic faith and really have no desire to do so.

Answer 2

Wow... you definitely know nothing about the Catholic faith! Ok, Catholics call Mary, the Virgin Mary, therefore, we believe she did not have more kids than Jesus (you may agree or not, but that is what the Catholic faith says). She was married, yes of course. And the majority of the catholics follow her example, and they marry. The majority of catholics are not priests. Does that has any relationship with the celibacy of priests?. Not at all. Actually, there are catholic priests who, for special reasons are married, like those of the Eastern catholic rite (Coptic, and melquites), and the ex-Anglican who converted into Catholicism but were married before. Why, then, the priests of the western rite cannot marry? Well, that is a bit a tradition, which was established centuries ago, and could be perfectly revised. In fact, at the very beginning of the roman catholic church, the priests used to get marry, but it was kind of a disaster (you know, they were Romans still anyways). So they established the celibacy. According to the tradition, by being celibate the priests, not only are more available to accomplish his duties (which in fact is totally right), but also remind their flock that in heaven we will not be marry to our husband and wife, but to the Holly Church (and I do not mean by that only the Roman Catholic, but that is another discussion). The scandals have nothing to do with the possibilities of priests to get marry. In fact, many married men commit exactly the same acts. OH BY THE WAY DOWN HERE!!! MARY IS NOT A CO-REDEEMER... that idea has been refused by the Catholic Church in Rome since John Paul II. There are groups among the Catholic Church who claim that, which have been told off by Rome. The problem really is that there is a lot of misinformation among Roman Catholics, and obviously outside the Church. Mary is well cherished among catholics as mother of Jesus and our Mother, but the history of salvation would not be affected if the marian dogmas were not there.

Answer 3

How can you have a relationship with Mary? If by relationship, you mean that you worship her and pray to her, then our worship should be directed towards God alone. And our focus should be on developing our relationship with HIM. Anything else is idolatry! And we know how God feels about that, don't we?

But, disturbingly enough, I've noticed what you've described too. I've been on mission trips, and I've witnessed people standing in line outside the Catholic church for hours just so they could go inside to pray to a piece of driftwood that bore Mary's image on it. I've seen an entire city square dedicated to Mary with a sculpture of her at its center. I've also seen an ENORMOUS statue of her. I couldn't even begin to guess how tall it was - taller than some buildings. She was wearing a crown and holding a teeny tiny baby Jesus -so small that you might overlook Him when compared to her magnificence.

Do you honestly think God is pleased with this? I'm really trying to understand the Catholic viewpoint here, but I'm at a loss. Exactly how is this not considered idolatry?

Answer 4

I could be mistaken, but could it be that poorer countries have greater devotion to Her being a simpler and needier people? I have seen the same devotion to the Mother of God in Asia , as you say , a stronger relationship. Asians go overboard too in displaying their love for Our Lady.

I was in Mexico some years back and it was the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I saw processions of people on the street carrying statues of Our Lady adorned with flowers in a vehicle while they cycled behind Her in the procession or ran behind the vehicle that carried Her statue, singing hymns. A taxi driver we spoke to said that he ran in such a procession once, in thanksgiving to Our Lady for a favor granted.
I'm sure Our Blessed Mother was very touched by these loving and humble gestures.

Answer 5

It could be that because of Our Lady of Guadeloupe delivered those people from human sacrifice. However, the Blessed Virgin has appeared more often in France than any other place. Officially. *goes to look that up*

Okay, more recently, some place called Usa.

Here's a message that Jesus gave to a young convert in Rwanda in 1989: 'Too many people treat their neighbors dishonestly. The world is full of hatred. You will know my Second Coming is at hand when you see the outbreak of religious wars. Then, know that I am on the way.'

Pretty scary, huh?

Answer 6

Do read up on Our Lady of Guadalupe...it is an awesome story and I agree that it has much to do with their stronger admiration and love for her. At the same time Luther was dividing the Church, Mary was bringing souls into it...it's incredible how God works!

Catholics ask Mary for her intercession because she has "influence" over Jesus in the sense that she is His Mother and He loves her, just as he wants us to love her. Look at the OT to see how Queen Bathsheba interceded to King Solomon on behalf of others.

P.S. We really don't worship her...why is that so hard for people to comprehend? As imitators of Christ, we love and honor her, just as He did so perfectly. How can you love your mother too much???

Prayers and blessings~

Answer 7

Check out The Lady of Guadalupe. The well documented story will blow your mind.
Also, Mary was the only other sinless person besides her son.
Research this and watch how it affects your whole spirituality

Answer 8

American Catholics also have a strong relationship..or alteast, many of them do..but i do know what your saying...and i really dont know why that seems to be the case. maybe theyre stronger Catholics? I dont know..
But I do agree with StoryJunkie...it probably does have quite a bit to do with Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Answer 9

I wish people like Sarge would get their facts straight, we worship Jesus and follow the Bible, we pray to Mary as she was rhe Mother of Jesus and if was not for her we would not have Jesus

God and Jesus comes first

Answer 10

She is seen as the person to have known Jesus the best because she gave birth to him.