Religion in Mexico in ancient times was based on an agricultural cult, which is characterized by magical rites for causing rain and the deification of corn - the basis of the diet of Mexicans since ancient times. The Incas annually sacrificed the first crop of maize of the season to the corn god. A special social position among the Mayan and Toltec tribes was occupied by priests who were completely cut off from material production and regularly performed human sacrifices. It is not surprising that the ministers of religion in Mexico had a very great influence on the population - the opinion of these people was considered extremely authoritative. The priests were also involved in teaching wealthy youth. In addition, they were fluent in the art of hieroglyphic writing, they were experts in the calendar, which in recent years many have been talking about, since it was completed only before 2012. Many researchers believe that it was religion in Mexico, which brutally subjugated the entire social structure, that became one of the main reasons for the decline of the ancient civilizations of Mesoamerica back in the pre-Columbian era.
Religion in Mexico after the Spanish conquest
Today, Christianity is the most popular and widespread religion in Mexico. Since the territory of modern Mexico was conquered by the conquistadors, the main part of the indigenous population was destroyed, and the surviving Indians were forcibly forced to accept Christianity. After these events, ambiguously perceived by modern Mexicans, Catholicism established itself as the main religion in Mexico.
Church and religion in Mexico play a very important role in the life of Mexicans. Until 1850, the church owned almost half of all land in Mexico, including hospitals and schools. However, the War of Independence and the Mexican Revolution that followed a century later led to the separation of church and state. Today, religion in Mexico is a personal matter and, according to the Mexican constitution, any religious organization is prohibited from owning land, publicly condemning the political situation in the country, and creating monastic orders.
Religion in Mexico in modern society
The most common religion in Mexico today is Catholicism. About 90% of the population adhere to this particular direction of Christianity. In addition to Catholics, Protestants also live in Mexico (about 3%). There are also small but thriving Baha'i and Jewish communities. Although Christianity is positioned as the main religion in Mexico, among the local population you can also find many followers of ancient religious cults, which are sometimes closely intertwined with Catholic customs. The most celebrated ritual of the Mexican syncretic religion is the "Day of the Dead" celebration. Even in ancient times, religion in Mexico played a very important role in the life of the local population, so quite a lot of ancient customs and rituals are still revered by the Mexicans and are still performed by certain groups of the population.
Religion in Mexico (2000 census)
Roman Catholicism
Protestantism and the Doctrines of the Evangelical Church
No religion
Mexico has no official religion, and the 1917 Constitution and anti-clerical laws placed restrictions on the church and sometimes codified government intervention in church affairs. The government does not provide financial contributions to the church, and the church is not involved in public education.
The last census reported, by self-attribution, that 95% of the population is Christian. Catholics are 89% of the total population, 47% percent of whom go to church services weekly. In absolute terms, Mexico has the world's second largest number of Catholics after Brazil.
Approximately 6% of the population (more than 4.4 million people) are Protestant, of which the Pentecostals and Charismatics (called neo-Pentecostals in the census) are the largest group (1.37 million people).
There is also a large number of Seventh-day Adventists (0.6 million people). The 2000 national census counted more than one million Jehovah's Witnesses. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims over one million registered members for 2009. Approximately 25% of registered members attend the weekly communion service, although this can fluctuate up and down.
The presence of Jews in Mexico dates back to 1521, when Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztecs, accompanied by several Conversos. According to the latest INEGI census, there are now more than 45,000 Mexican Jews. Nearly three million people in the 2000 Census reported having no religion. Islam in Mexico is practiced by a small Muslim population in the city of Torreón, Coahuila, and there are about 300 Muslims in the area of San Cristobal de las Casas in Chiapas. The Buddhist population of Mexico is currently a tiny minority, around 108,000 according to the latest accounts. Most of its members are of Asian descent, while people of various other walks of life have turned to Buddhism in the recent past.
In 1992, Mexico lifted almost all restrictions on the Catholic Church and other religions, including giving all legal status to religious groups, giving them limited property rights, and raising restrictions on the number of priests in the country. Until recently, priests did not have the right to vote, and even now they cannot be elected to public office.
Mexico is an amazing country whose culture intertwines the traditions of different peoples who have ever lived on its territory. The inhabitants of Mexico actively enjoy the benefits of scientific and technological progress and faithfully honor their ancient traditions and religions. Mexicans are Catholics. But for many centuries, the customs of the Indians were so closely intertwined with the customs of the Catholics that they began to play an important role in life.
One of these customs was the holiday celebrated on November 2 - the Day of All Souls, or the Day of the Dead. On this day, people go to cemeteries to honor the memory of the dead. They bring flowers, food, alcoholic drinks to the graves, sometimes they order an orchestra and perform the favorite music of deceased relatives. In almost every house of Mexican Catholics, you can find a memorial altar with photographs of deceased relatives placed on it.
Once the Virgin is considered miraculous and capable of healing. The Temple of the Virgin of Guadalupe is located in Mexico City. From all over the country, pilgrims go on foot to pray in the temple. According to tradition, on the way to the temple, believers offer prayers to the Virgin of Guadalupe. They enter the temple on their knees and bring roses to the altar. The veneration of the holy Virgin grew into a cult. Her figurines can be found not only in houses on the home altar, but also in the most unexpected places: in supermarkets, at bus stops, etc.
The cult of worship of the Goddess-woman, the Goddess-mother has centuries. Even the Aztecs with great awe and reverence treated the Holy One, dressed in white clothes and with loose hair. Her statue was installed in temples, surrounded by statues of other idols and revered as the Mother of the Gods. The goddess was called Cihuacoatl. In honor of the Mother Goddess, magnificent festivities were held, ending with human sacrifices. Thank God, the custom of sacrifice has not survived to this day!
Such, sometimes terrible, roots are found in many, innocent today, religious cults. And it is not in vain that the Bible says that you need to find God in yourself. That is, to live in peace with yourself, to honor those who are next to you. And the soul will be light and joyful!
Source www.watchtower.org.
Religion en Mexico-1
In Mexico, 91% of the population still consider themselves Catholics. However, Mexico, like Russia, is a secular state according to the Constitution, where the Church is separated from the state and, by law, has no leverage over it.
The seeming contradiction, however, is smoothed out not by legal regulations, but by the cultural and historical traditions of the Mexican people. Respect for the Church, religion and local saints is still an integral part of the self-consciousness of most Mexicans, despite the fact that there were two major anti-clerical periods in the history of Mexico - anti-church liberal Reform (reforms and laws adopted in the period of 1855-1863, which separated the Church from the State) and "Christiada" (1926-1929) - the war of the Mexican government against the Catholic Church, undertaken, largely following the example of the first years of Soviet power , President Plutarco Elias Calles.
However, in my opinion, in Mexico, an action like the February prank of Pussy Riot would not be possible in Mexico - despite the fact that the city of Mexico, unlike the provinces, is quite tolerant of various social movements and extravagant mass actions.
Consider the Constitutional law of Mexico in matters of religion. (See "Religion in Mexico", an overview of sources)
Freedom of religion in the context of constitutional law
The Mexican constitution guarantees freedom of religion for its citizens. In accordance with the Constitution, Mexicans are free to exercise their right to choose a religion, or not to profess any religious views. Article 24 of the Mexican Constitution states: Everyone is free to choose the religion of his choice, and to participate in the ceremonies, initiations or acts of the respective cult, unless they are a violation or a crime punishable by law.
Mexico has very strong anti-clerical traditions - freedom of religion as a civil right of Mexicans was formed in the context of a two-century struggle with the historical dominance of the Catholic Church in the public and state life of the country. As a result of this struggle, the Catholic Church in Mexico has largely lost its once inviolable positions - according to the Mexican Constitution, the church has been separated from the state for more than a century and a half, and Mexico itself is already a multi-confessional state.
During the presidency of Benito Juarez, in 1857, the first liberal Constitution was adopted in Mexico and a series of reforms (“Lerdo Law”) were carried out, according to which the Catholic Church in Mexico was legally finally separated from the state. This period in Mexican history is called the "Reform". As a result of the reforms, the Catholic Church lost its privileges and its once huge property. The separation of church and state was included in the Mexican constitution and was the logical conclusion of a long stage of anti-clerical struggle that began during the Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821), and as a constitutional provision has been preserved to this day. There is an opinion that the church reform of 1857 opened the doors to alternative cults and religious denominations, whose arrival a century and a half later changed the religious situation in Mexico, and caused the diversity of the religious life of the country that exists today.
Especially strong tensions between the Roman Catholic Church and the government began after the Mexican Revolution of 1910-1920. when, at the end of the twenties of the twentieth century, a real war of the post-revolutionary government against the Catholic Church broke out in Mexico (the so-called " Christiada”, Cristiada or La Guerra Cristera), resulting in severe amendments to the Mexican Constitution further restricting the rights of the Roman Catholic Church and clergy. It was forbidden to teach religious principles in schools, teachers who taught the basics of religious doctrines were punished, churches were closed, priests were subjected to repression.
Article 130 of the revolutionary Constitution confirmed the previously existing separation of church and state: neither members of the clergy nor the church itself were considered a legal entity, did not exist as a subject of state law, and, accordingly, could not have property. Priests (which could only be Mexicans by birth) did not have the right to vote, and the church was entirely subject to secular laws established by the state. For a long time, the state pretended that neither religion nor church existed in Mexico - at the end of the Cristiada, in the forties, the government suspended the implementation of cardinal anti-church laws. The buildings of the Catholic Church belonged to the state, and alternative religious groups (Protestants, Jews) were in an insignificant minority, and their lives were not regulated in any way by state decrees, and were not taken into account in any state statistics.
The period of cardinal confrontation between church and state ended only by 1992, when, during the presidency of Carlos Salinas de Gortari, several new constitutional laws were adopted by the Mexican government. Mexico passed the fateful Law on Religious Associations and Public Practices of Worship ( Ley de asociaciones religiosas y culto publico, publicada en el Diario Oficial de la Federación el 15 de julio de 1992).
Accordingly, in the same year, the sacred 130th article of the Mexican Constitution, which defines the separation of church and state, was also affected - the church, clergy and religious associations regained their legal status: subject to registration with the relevant state bodies, the church regained the status of a legal entity and, accordingly , title to property (real estate), and priests and / or clergy, if they are citizens of Mexico, for the first time in the history of Mexico received the right to vote.
For its part, under the new law, the state officially pledged not to interfere in the internal affairs of a church or religious association. However, Article 130 of the Constitution still clearly defines the primacy of public law - secular legislation is the main regulatory force in Mexico: all administrative acts have legal force only when sent to public authorities and only by the relevant authorized persons of the state (this applies, in the first place , to marriage as an act of civil status). As before, clergy are prohibited from engaging in public activities, supporting political parties, expressing their political views, supporting candidates from political parties, or opposing the laws and regulations of the state. Religious ministers may participate in the work of public institutions such as hospitals or prisons - the country's basic law does not directly prohibit such participation of the clergy in public life, but does not support it by any relevant legislation. Cultists can now vote, but are not eligible to be elected to the highest government positions. Religious groups cannot own or operate television stations on public frequencies. However, there is a cable television channel in Mexico that the Catholic Church broadcasts nationally. In general, to broadcast religious programs on government frequencies, you need to obtain permission from the government, and usually this permission is granted in the normal way. According to statistics, from June 2003 to May 2004, 11,116 programs of religious content were authorized by the government to broadcast.
In connection with the adoption of the law of 1992, the Mexican government established diplomatic relations with the Holy See (very strained since the Second Mexican Empire, when in 1865, outraged by the church reforms of Emperor Maximilian, the papal nuncio left Mexico). The Catholic Church regained its legal status, and a 1992 law lifted virtually all restrictions once placed on it, especially in terms of legal rights to property. The 1992 law broke down the diplomatic and political barriers that had existed for many years between Mexico and the Holy See, allowing Pope John Paul II to visit Mexico for the first time as Head of State of the Vatican in 1999.
However, the process of the revival of religion touched not only the Catholic Church. Along with the Catholic Church, other churches and religious associations that already exist in Mexico also received rights. According to the 1992 law, upon official registration, any religious association receives a limited right to property (real estate). For the construction of a new religious building (or for the conversion of an existing building for religious purposes), a religious association must submit an application to the state authorities. Any place of worship built after 1992 is the property of the religious association that built it. Religious buildings built before 1992 are considered a national treasure - they are owned by the state and are exempt from taxes.
In August 2001, another amendment was made to the Mexican Constitution, for the first time in the history of the country, officially prohibiting the persecution and discrimination of citizens on religious grounds. (Article 1 of the Constitution).
The school in Mexico is separate from the state, and the teaching of religious principles in public schools is prohibited, which, however, does not prevent religious associations from having their own private schools. Private religious education at home is not supported by law, but it is not prohibited either.
As a rule, in practice, the constitutional right of Mexicans to freedom of religion is protected by the state: government structures usually respect the free choice of citizens and their right to religious assembly. According to the Constitution, the Congress (parliament) of Mexico cannot approve a law that allows or prohibits a particular religious denomination, or gives preference to a particular religion.
In the working calendar of Mexico for 2009, eight holidays are defined, of which one is dedicated to Christian holidays - Christmas (December 25). In addition, some employers additionally provide their employees with paid holidays on Maundy Thursday (Easter week), All Souls' Day (November 2), the feast of the Blessed Virgin of Guadalupe (December 12) and Christmas Eve (December 24).
Beginning in 1992, Article 2 of the Constitution defines Mexico as a "multicultural" state whose ethnic base is an Amerindian population. Mestizos make up the main population of Mexico, and the Indian population is (according to various sources) - 11% of the total population of the country, and is represented (also according to various sources) by 62 indigenous peoples who live throughout Mexico and speak different languages. The Indian population of Mexico is highly heterogeneous in terms of religious beliefs. Religious freedom in Indian communities is often limited by the cultural environment, local traditions and existing political environment. As a rule, incidents motivated by religious intolerance are quite rare in Mexico, but most of them are registered exactly where there is the highest density of the Indian population - in Yucatan, the states of Oaxaca, Chiapas and Tabasco. Each such case is seriously considered at various government levels. As a rule, most cases of religious intolerance are registered in the state of Chiapas, where various groups of the Mayan people traditionally live. We will return to the question of the special position of Chiapas in the religious life of Mexico and consider it in a special chapter.
(Continued - Religion in Mexico-2)
Mexico is an amazing country whose culture intertwines the traditions of different peoples who have ever lived on its territory. The inhabitants of Mexico actively enjoy the benefits of scientific and technological progress and faithfully honor their ancient traditions and religions. Mexicans are Catholics. But for many centuries, the customs of the Indians were so closely intertwined with the customs of the Catholics that they began to play an important role in life.
One of these customs was the holiday celebrated on November 2 - the Day of All Souls, or the Day of the Dead. On this day, people go to cemeteries to honor the memory of the dead. They bring flowers, food, alcoholic drinks to the graves, sometimes they order an orchestra and perform the favorite music of deceased relatives. In almost every house of Mexican Catholics, you can find a memorial altar with photographs of deceased relatives placed on it.
One of the significant annual holidays is the day of the Virgin of Guadalupe (December 12). The image of the Virgin is considered miraculous and capable of healing. The Temple of the Virgin of Guadalupe is located in Mexico City. From all over the country, pilgrims go on foot to pray in the temple. According to tradition, on the way to the temple, believers offer prayers to the Virgin of Guadalupe. They enter the temple on their knees and bring roses to the altar. The veneration of the holy Virgin grew into a cult. Her figurines can be found not only in houses on the home altar, but also in the most unexpected places: in supermarkets, at bus stops, etc.
The cult of worship of the Goddess-woman, the Goddess-mother has centuries. Even the Aztecs with great awe and reverence treated the Holy One, dressed in white clothes and with loose hair. Her statue was installed in temples, surrounded by statues of other idols and revered as the Mother of the Gods. The goddess was called Cihuacoatl. In honor of the Mother Goddess, magnificent festivities were held, ending with human sacrifices. Thank God, the custom of sacrifice has not survived to this day!
Such, sometimes terrible, roots are found in many, innocent today, religious cults. And it is not in vain that the Bible says that you need to find God in yourself. That is, to live in peace with yourself, to honor those who are next to you. And the soul will be light and joyful!
Source www.watchtower.org.
I'm not a very religious person, but I was asked a question and I thought it would be interesting to explore this topic.
First, about external signs.
In every, even a small, village (for example,) there is a Catholic church. In Mexico City and other large cities, temples are located quite often, those of great importance are richly decorated with icons and gold. In Mexico City, for example, is located on the Zocalo.
Secondly, about internal motives. Here I can’t say much, so I’ll give my observations and the results of “social surveys” Young people, for example, a salsa teacher in a resort town, do not believe in God, prefer to teach, don’t think much about the meaning of life, don’t bother thinking through lessons, and if it’s really tight, then friends or drugs can always help out. Or here's our condominium owner. 30 years old, a young wife with whom he worked together in this condo, she became pregnant and they got married. He says that he believes in God, professes Catholicism, but does not go to church, well, not so much that he does not go at all, but not regularly, but in exceptional cases (as we have there for a wedding, christening, etc.). Another colorful character with whom we talked was the Ramururi Indian, who was proud of his church in the village of Kuzarare, but it was locked and opened only to launch us on a paid excursion (there is nothing more to show there).
Kuzare, the church, and a cute shard on the left perched
According to statistics, 88% of Mexicans identify themselves as Catholics. The most interesting thing is, of course, with the Indians. Here in Playa del Carmen there are excursions where you are brought to a kind of distant village where the original Maya Indians live and conduct the most real rite of ancient civilizations, during which you eat special mushrooms and then see fateful visions. Of course, among Russian youth, such tours delight. Or there are similar themes in Oaxaca, where they take you around the villages, in one of which, right in the church, again, an Indian shaman performs a demon exorcism ritual, sacrificing a chicken (where they only take so many possessed ...) in the other they stage another ancient rite of purification and application of sacred tattoos.
I am generally silent about the ritual of climbing on a pole and circling with the upper legs to call rain, which is known to all tourists.
What kind of rituals are performed not for tourists, but for truly religious purposes ...
As far as I understand, the Indians are by nature simple and easily suggestible people who prefer a simple and carefree life. Therefore, they manage to preserve some rituals from the ancient past, while combining and transforming them with the religion that “aliens” bring to them at the moment and in this place: Catholics, Baptists, Mormons, various sects and even Islam! I don't know if this is because they are not prone to resistance and are easily influenced, or because they simply use these sect-religion-communities to get additional benefits from them in an easy way, but the religious cauldron is still boiling there That. You can read more about this with numbers.
The theme of religion is also actively used by drug cartels. The barons make generous donations, and the priests for this "absolve sins" and calm the particularly unstable elements of the gangs, who sometimes wake up conscience. Those priests who do not want to cooperate and “sanctify” drugs are often eliminated. In addition, there are religious wars between different beliefs, for example, in the same Creel, a rather tourist town, there was an attack on the Marmons recently, during which 11 people were killed.
So if you go to church in Mexico, you can come out as a spiritually enlightened person, as an Indian shaman, or maybe as a member of a drug cartel. 
