Catholic Church calls not to exalt the bestiality of humanity on the Day of the Dead

Within the framework of the feast of the faithful departed, which the Catholic Church commemorates every November 2, the Diocese of Aguascalientes in Mexico urged people to live this date with a Christian sense and not exalting “the bestiality of humanity”, such as shows inspired “in American film genres.”

Every November 2, a day after the Solemnity of All Saints, the Church remembers the faithful departed. In Mexico, this celebration is known as the “Day of the Dead,” although in recent years it has been influenced by Halloween, celebrated on October 31.

In a pastoral letter shared This November 21, Bishop Juan Espinoza Jiménez, Bishop of Aguascalientes, pointed out that during these dates various activities are carried out that “respond to the living tradition of our people.” However, the prelate warned that there is “a deforming advance, of things that dehumanize and come to constitute genuine disrespect for the memory of our deceased.”

Among them, he criticized “commercial shows, based on American film genres, that exalt the bestiality of humanity: atrocious crimes, zombies, satanic worship, pernicious games like the Ouija board; etc.”

Mons. Espinoza Jiménez assured that Mexican society “already experiences too much violence to make an apology for it, or to consider it as something exciting.”

Shows in cemeteries, a “desecration”

The bishop regretted that these types of demonstrations are allowed in cemeteries in the state. “In recent days, many people have expressed to me their painful feelings, and some their anger, because in historical cemeteries of our City, where their beloved deceased relatives rest, the performance of grotesque events is allowed.”

Various activities were announced for this season, including “zombie marches” and dramatizations of horror stories; For example, in the Pantheon of Health there will be a special tour called “Ouija: Voices from beyondfull of macabre stories and local legends.

Although he recognized the interest in promoting cemeteries as tourist attractions, he warned that converting them into “theatrical settings cannot be understood or normalized,” since for many families “the tombs are authentic reliquaries of someone who we know will return on the day of the Resurrection.”

“A disastrous action on a tomb is seen as a true act of desecration. What people have expressed is not a simple complaint, nor is it an unfounded discomfort, it is a great lack of respect, no one would like this type of event to be staged on the tomb of their parents or their children,” the prelate pointed out.

Pastoral creativity

The bishop invited that this celebration “not be deprived of its deepest meaning: to pray for our deceased, while remembering them with reverent affection.” Likewise, he urged priests and pastoral agents to “do everything possible so that the commemoration of the faithful departed is a manifestation of our faith and our conviction in the resurrection of the dead.”

“We priests cannot only lament the profane use of these days. We must ask for the Light of the Holy Spirit, to illuminate healthy and upright pastoral creativity, which allows these days to be an experience of faith,” noted Mons. Espinoza Jiménez.

In this context, he invited people to celebrate suffrage Masses, pray the Rosary and carry out other liturgical or piety actions in parishes with cemeteries. He also proposed pilgrimages from the parish to the pantheon, while the Holy Rosary is sung and prayed, as well as prayer vigils for the eternal rest of the souls in Purgatory.

Mons. Espinoza Jiménez invited all Mexicans to make these holidays “for all a time in which we live our authentic traditions, illuminated by faith, which allow us to maintain a grateful and prayerful memory.”