SANTA MUERTE - LA SANTISIMA MUERTE

Santa Muerte is a patron saint. Authorities and the Catholic Church associate her with drugs and crime, but ordinary, decent citizens also worship Santa Muerte. La Santisima Muerte has been my protector and friend over 20 years. In Mexico you can see her image everywhere.

La Santa Muerte has crossed the US/Mexico Border for over a decade, accompanying her devotees on their arduous journeys north. Also known as La Flaquita (The Skinny One), La Niña Blanca (The White Girl), La Niña Negra (The Black Girl), Señora de las Sombras (Lady of the Shadows), La Huesuda (Bony Lady), La Niña Bonita (The Pretty Girl), La Madrina (The Godmother), and more reverently, La Santísima Muerte (The Most Holy Death), she is a beloved saint of dispossessed peoples.

Santa Muerte's presence and veneration in the U.S. are a reflection of her growing popularity as a folk religion originating in Mexico, especially among Mexican and Central American migrants. She is revered as a non-judgmental, miracle-working saint who offers protection and acceptance 

Acceptance and Inclusivity:

Santa Muerte is seen as a saint who accepts everyone, regardless of their background or actions. 

Miracle Worker:

She is known as a powerful, fast, and effective miracle worker, appealing to people for help with love, wealth, health, and other desires. 

Protection from Danger:

She is sought for protection in dangerous situations, making her popular with sex workers, criminals, and migrants facing precarious lives. 

Santa Muerte appears as a female skeletal figure wearing a dress and a long hooded cloak. Her clothes come in a wide array of colors from bright yellows to somber blacks and browns to vibrant green and neutral white. She may hold a scythe in one hand and a crystal ball or globe in the other; at times she also carries the scales of justice. Appearing as she does, a female skeleton complete with the Grim Reaper’s scythe, wearing a large cross and carrying a skull, it is not surprising that her saintly status scandalizes the Church hierarchy.

The Skinny Lady’s followers come from all walks of life, including artists, actors, gang members, police, sex workers, prison guards, drug traffickers, and LGBTQ individuals.Tómas Prower (2015) writes, “La Santa Muerte is a non judgmental deity” who “gives no preferential treatment” 

Santa Muerte can serve as a symbol of hope and salvation, especially for those who have led a life of crime or addiction, who often see the skeleton saint as a path to spiritual transformation and an opportunity to escape their troubled pasts. She offers a means to seek forgiveness, make amends, and find a new purpose in life. For those serving prison sentences, Santa Muerte represents the possibility of redemption and transformation. In Mexican and U.S. prisons, inmates commonly erect small altars to her in their cells. In fact, Santa Muerte is so popular among both inmates and prison guards in Mexico that she can be considered the patron saint of the entire Mexican penal system. Both inmates and guards ask the death saint to protect them from the constant dangers of prison life, while the former also pray to her for a speedy release.

Now, the Bony Lady is “out” and very visible. Since early 2000, worship has grown dramatically in Mexico and in the US, especially among migrants. I came to understand her popularity among migrants and LGBTQ communities in Mexico; she is associated with those living precarious lives and/or engaged in dangerous undertakings. What surprised me, however, was that government entities both in the US and in Mexico, shared my interest in the Bony Lady. The Drug Enforcement Agency, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, the Mexican government, and the Mexican military all actively oppose the worship of Santa Muerte. A Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) law enforcement bulletin claims: “Santa Muerte informational training can prove so stressful for some law enforcement and public safety officers that they can become physically ill and pass out. This has happened more than once. Programs and writings concerning wellness and spirituality can provide ‘spiritual armor’”

Santa Muerte is a personification of death. Unlike other Latin American folk saints, Santa Muerte is not, herself, seen as a dead human being. She is associated with healing, protection, financial wellbeing, and assurance of a path to the afterlife.

Santa Muerte is not demonic or satanic.

Santa Muerte is a folk saint venerated by a small number of people, often alongside or during the Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos), which is a separate holiday focused on remembering and celebrating deceased loved ones through altars and offerings. 

Cultural vs. Religious Significance:

The Day of the Dead is a broad cultural celebration of ancestors, while Santa Muerte is a specific folk saint for a smaller group of followers. 

Official Stance:

The Day of the Dead is a widely recognized and even UNESCO-recognized aspect of Mexican culture, whereas the Catholic Church officially rejects Santa Muerte. 

Symbolism:

The Day of the Dead symbolizes a positive and communal relationship with the deceased, contrasting with the Western tradition of grieving and letting go. 

Protected by Santa Muerte