Syncretism In Latin America

In Latin America, one of the factors that connect the country is there shared religions. In most countries the religions most practiced or recognized by the state is Catholicism. there is a range of how much this religion still influences the everyday life of the people in Latin America. For example, Chile was one of the last countries to legalize gay marriage and Guatemala recognizes many Mayan religions. Moreover, there has been a growth of protestants, but Catholicism is still a part of the culture. This is one of the many remains of the colonization of Latin America by the Spanish and Portuguese.

When Latin America was colonized the church was one of the main institutions brought from Europe. Due to the Reconquista, after many years of having a Muslim enclave in Spain, the Spanish finally defected this and reclaimed their own land. This motivated them to keep spreading the religion and convert as many as possible. The priest came to Latin America and converted many people (souls) but also adopted some of the regional traditions. This syncretism created new traditions like the day of the dead. Additionally, the Virgin of Guadalupe, who is indigenous.

This syncretism can also create a specific type of art for

Latin America. magic realism is a style which allows the lines of magic and realism to be blurred. there is a combination of social topics such as the military, authorities and human rights abuse and the spiritual world. This is something which comes from catholic in which the spiritual world is a large part of the religion.
Additionally, the church also helped establish social programs, which included schools.

For example, the Jesuits in Brazil helped establish universities through the region. They also brought other cultural aspects such as music. Moreover, Bartolomeo de las Casas was a priest that advocated for the integration of indigenous people. He was from the Dominican Republic and he criticized the abuses which the meridian people faced and wanted their integration into society. He was a priest that pushed for the equal treatment of indigenous people in the Dominican Republic. However, his work in his homeland extended to other Latin American countries and led to the new laws which were created to annul the abuse and limited landholdings from the encomienda

system.
Padre Hidalgo was an instrumental tool for the Mexican independence. He organized a grassroots movement against the Spanish. Although his movement was short lived he is still seen as a symbol of independence. Hidalgo's spirit was carried by another priest, father Morelos. Morelos was more successful in the uprising for defense. Consequently, Bishop Oscar Romero is a modern example of this activism by members of the church. He spoke out about the abuse of power by the military in El Salvador. He called out the injustices he saw during their civil war. Although he was assassinated his departure brought attention the issues which El Salvador faced.
One of the prevalent factors of the church which is still alive today is the machismo and "marianismo" culture. The machismo culture is one where the man is the protector and there is an intense sense of masculine pride. This machismo culture affects the way which men are often idolized in Latin American countries. One example of this is the gaucho. This was a man riding a horse who in countries like Argentina where the ones that would rule the nation. The "marianismo " culture comes from “la virgin Maria,” the Virgin Mary. It is the belief that women should be pure and should sacrifice. These two cultural norms have helped develop the gender roles in Latin America, which persist today. Although more women are joining the labor force there has been a large opposition to this movement.
Religion is seen in every aspect of the society. it is influential in the way which the society is organized and the way which individuals develop their identity. Although Catholicism is on the decline its elements will still be incorporated within the society.