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New trend -

A new religious trend has seen a rise in the last few years: the worship of certain 'saints' who are nothing like the ones most of us are used to.

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Santa Muerte -

One of the most popular is Santa Muerte (which translates to Saint Death in English). Santa Muerte has quite a large following in Mexico.

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What Santa Muerte looks like -

If you’re familiar with Mexico’s patron saint, the Virgin of Guadeloupe, you will see the resemblance. But you will also see the resemblance to the Grim Reaper!

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Who worships Santa Muerte? -

Though Santa Muerte has a particular place in the heart of drug traffickers, the saint is also very popular among regular, law-abiding citizens.

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How many worshipers, and where are they located? -

It is estimated that there are up to 12 million devotees in Mexico, and now many in the US as well.

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Santa Muerte devotees -

It’s safe to say that Santa Muerte is one of the most important saints of the cartel underworld. Robert Almonte, a Texas-based security consultant and former deputy chief of the El Paso Police Department, weighed in.

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The dangers of worshiping Santa Muerte -

“The narcos and the gangs all believe in the power of prayer,” said Almonte. “They believe that the saints will protect them no matter what they do—and that’s dangerous because it emboldens the traffickers who truly believe they can get away with murder and still go to heaven.”

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The Catholic Church's position -

These 'saints' are not canonized, and indeed their worship is condemned by the Catholic Church, which has described them as “blasphemous and Satanic.”

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The Catholic Church's position -

“Culture is intended for the development of the person, his potential, his qualities, and the expression of his spirit. The cult of Santa Muerte is destructive. What it seeks is death,” said Father Hugo Valdemar, the director of communications for the Archdiocese of Mexico City.

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The Catholic Church's position -

The Pope himself has addressed the worship of Santa Muerte. “I am particularly concerned about those many persons who, seduced by the empty power of the world, praise illusions and embrace their macabre symbols to commercialize death in exchange for money,” said Pope Francis.

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The Pope has addressed the worship of Santa Muerte -

“I urge you not to underestimate the moral and antisocial challenge which the drug trade represents for Mexican society as a whole, as well as for the Church,” he added.

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How people worship Santa Muerte -

Santa Muerte altars are places of offerings. Worshipers will leave cigarettes, flowers, alcohol, and (sometimes lots of) cash.

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How people worship Santa Muerte -

But being the saint of death, killings are also dedicated to her. So much so that some body parts have been offered to the saint.

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How people worship Santa Muerte -

A sicario (hit man) for the Juarez cartel named Edgar said in an interview that he sacrificed people to Santa Muerte.

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How people worship Santa Muerte -

“The thing is that I kill for ordering, but I talk to her and say, ‘Hey, I go to a job. Just make me hit, I am gonna give you that life, it is for you,’” shared Edgar, who reportedly killed 60 people for the cartel.

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A best-seller saint -

Santa Muerte figurines are best-sellers in Mexican botánicas (esoterica shops). “She has a reputation for being an incredibly speedy and efficacious miracle worker, and unlike most canonized saints, at the end of the day, she isn’t Catholic, so you can ask her for anything—to bless a shipment of crystal meth, for example,” explains Andrew Chesnut, a professor of religious studies at Virginia Commonwealth University.

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Other worshipers -

As the cult grows, other worshipers join in. Santa Muerte attracts people from all walks of life, but mainly those who are marginalized, including migrants and members of the LGBTQ community.

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Other narco saints -

But Santa Muerte is not the only saint criminals pray to. Here are some other, equally important, santos de los narcos.

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Jesús Malverde -

The legend of Jesús Malverde dates back to 1909. The Mexican Robin Hood-like character was allegedly killed by the police in Sinaloa, Mexico.

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Jesús Malverde -

Legend has it that Jesús Malverde, also known as "Cjuba Lord'' and "angel of the poor," stole from the rich to give to the poor.

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Jesús Malverde -

He became a folk hero and has been the patron saint of outlaws ever since. Jesús Malverde is, along with Santa Muerte, one of the most worshiped narco saints in the country.

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Maximón -

Maximón, also known as San Simón, is originally a Mayan deity venerated by the people of Guatemala.

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Maximón -

Maximón is said to be both a protector and a deceiver. Legend has it that he fought for the people of Guatemala against the Spaniards.

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Maximón -

But one story says that he was once hired by traveling fishermen to protect the virtue of their wives, but ended up bedding them all. Maximón is the patron saint of criminals in Guatemala, but also has worshipers in Mexico and the US.

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Niño de Atocha -

The Holy Infant of Atocha is an ancient Spanish Catholic saint. He is the patron of travelers and prisoners. Which is probably why he’s so popular among drug traffickers. The infamous Pablo Escobar, the leader of the Medellin cartel, had altars dedicated to the saint in many of his safe houses.

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Niño de Atocha -

Ovidio Guzmán, aka "El Ratón" from the Sinaloa cartel and the son of the infamous Mexican drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, is also a known devotee.

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Raymond Nonnatus -

Raymond Nonnatus, also known as San Ramon, is a Catholic saint who is said to have freed Christians who were imprisoned by Muslims in North Africa.

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Raymond Nonnatus -

He would sometimes give himself in exchange for the prisoners and took the chance to preach the gospel to followers of Islam. To stop him, the Muslims padlocked his mouth. Drug traffickers pray to him to keep people quiet.

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St Jude -

Jude was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He's also known as Judas Thaddaeus (not to be confused with the one who betrayed Jesus, Judas Iscariot).

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St Jude -

He is the patron saint of lost causes, so it's easy to see how drug traffickers can find him useful.

Sources: (New York Post) (BBC) (The Atlantic)

See also: Unbelievable facts about Pablo Escobar

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