Catholic is a popular religious group, but has many sub-groups in it, and they all have varying beliefs that bring struggles and further widens the gaps between them. Some of the ordinary Catholics are the Italian Catholics, and they have different devotions for varying occurrences.
Catholics have a devotion to Santa Muerte as described by Chesnut David in a film called Saint Death. Santa Muerte is described as a female folk saint that is venerated primarily in South Western part of the United States and Mexico. The folk saint is a personification of death and brings about protection, healing, and safe delivery of the dead for those who believe in it (Gleason 475). Santa is found in Mexican culture and given respect but the Catholics are against it and condemn its worship even though they live by Mexican culture.
Catholics found all over the world believe in the Virgin Mary and give her the title Lady of Mount Carmel and show devotion to her role of being a patroness of the Order of Carmelite. Catholics know the feast of the Lady of Mount Camel as Scapular feast and have a spiritual devotion to signify the wearer’s consecration of Mary and the affiliation with the Order of Carmelite.
The devotion to the Our Lady of Mount Camel and Santa Muerte brings a contradiction between how Catholics believers live their lives and the way their leaders want them to live. Catholics found in Mexico and US have to honor the Santa Muerte devotion since it is observed in their countries, but it is against their beliefs. Some Catholics lack the significant of giving a devotion to Our Lady of Mount Camel since they require any attachment between the feast and Virgin Mary, but the Catholic leadership wants it observed (Gleason 476). The devotion struggles bring more differences between Catholic groups and their leaders.
Work Cited
Gleason, P. "Book Review: Catholics in America: A History, the Faithful: A History of Catholics in America". Theological Studies 70.2 (2009): 474-477. Web.
