During the Amazonian Synod of October of 2019, we watched as representatives from the Amazon and a lone Franciscan monk created a circle in the Vatican Gardens, bowing down to worship rough-hewn figures called “Pachamamas.” Many wondered at the origin and history of these Pachamama figures.
The Vatican Ceremony (above) which initiated the uproar over the possible worship of the statuettes
Pachamama Origins
Evidently, the authentic Pachamama figure was the Incan fertility goddess of agriculture who lived beneath the Andes Mountains, not from the Amazon rain forests of South America (Maestro, 2019). Her name emanates from the quechua language (Wiki Didactic, 2013). For many indigenous peoples, she is mother earth. She represents nature; consequently, her displeasure with the natives creates earthquakes. The people around her drank maize chicha (beer) and celebrated through the sacrifice of llamas (The Broom Closet, 2013). Though from the quechua, the Amazonian peoples also worshipped the mother earth goddess who provided everything in nature for them. Ultimately, the Pachamama was supplanted with imagery of the Blessed Mother when the conquistadors conquered the Incas in the 1500s (The Broom Closet, 2013).
Pachamama as a mountain in the Andes
Andean, Original Pachamamas with Religious Imagery
An example of this transition of the original fertility goddess to Catholic versions of Mary is the Bolivian Virgin (below).
The Bolivian Virgin
She can be compared with the Andean Pachamama with respect to the mountain-shaped, triangular gown and its naturalistic details: “Note also how the cosmic, naturalistic imagery of the Andes is integrated with the Baroque liturgical symbolism of Spanish Catholicism, presided over by Christ and the Father in liturgical attire, thereby bringing the natural cosmos of the earth into the supernatural cosmos of the Church” (JMC Maestro, 2019). That is, through inculturation, pagan art became Christianized.
This example of Spanish art rendered from the Pachamama tradition also demonstrates the mountain-shaped dress resplendent with birds and flowers, with the intent of adding to Andean devotion. As Damian (1995) notes, "The one consistent feature that appears as a dominant stylistic and iconographic trait in Cuzco paintings of the Virgin is the triangular shape of Mary's dress, a reference to the shape of a mountain and, especially, her role as Pachamama, the Earth Mother" (pp. 50-51).
The Virgin Mary of Bolivia with agricultural details in the shape of a mountain
The Statuettes from the Synod and Problems with its Usage
On the other hand, the “Pachamamas” shown at the Synod appear to be primitive woodcarvings (see below).
The Synod Pachamama
This contradiction between the actual, historical Pachamama of the Andes and the now infamous statuettes of October, 2019, is substantiated by a friend who was born and raised in the Amazon area of Peru, who has traveled back there repeatedly throughout the years. She has never seen the Synod image (left) before. Further, she speculates that this carving is part of the New Age Movement, and most probably, was created by an artist in Manaus, Brazil, making its appearance sometime within the last ten years and moving around in city churches in the Amazon area. Apparently, an itinerant team in charge of spirituality bought some of these statuettes at an artists’ market in Manaus, Brazil (EN News, 2019). And so, they traveled in a circuitous route to the Vatican.
According to Father Simon (2019), the Vatican Office officially stated that “Pachamamas are symbols of Amazonian realities and experiences with not only cultural, but also religious motivations.” The issue with this depiction of the statuettes representing mother earth, a pagan goddess, and the “highest divinity of the Andean people” (Caserita, 2019) is that it assumes that this figure stands over the creation and movement of the earth, directly contradicting Catholic belief that God is the Creator and Mover of heaven and earth (CCC, 325).
The Amazon Area
My friend explained that the Amazon area is in multiple countries of South America, the largest of which is Brazil; it is sparsely populated outside of the large cities and towns. There are still tribes living in the rain forest who are uncivilized and without human contact. Some have never heard of Christianity. The greater part of the Amazon population, however, live in the cities and consist of mixed nationalities, not indigenous peoples. These people are already Christianized – it would not be necessary to use any fertility goddess to spread Christianity among them.
The Issues
First of all, the name “Pachamama” was misrepresented – the term refers to a goddess of the Andes, not of an Amazon rain forest. Wasn’t the whole point of the Synod to focus on the issues of the indigenous people of the Amazon? Secondly, In its depiction as “mother earth, the statuettes take away from Catholic belief of God as the Creator of heaven and earth (CCC 325); and third, though blessed, the statues as such may not be worshipped. Sacramentals are to remind us (as Catholics) of Our Lord, Our Lady, and the saints, but we would never worship the objects themselves. If the meaning behind the unfamiliar objects is not clarified or is officially considered “mother earth,” the actions could be interpreted as idol worship. This is against our core beliefs:
I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place
of slavery. You shall not have any other gods besides me. You shall not carve idols
for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below
or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or worship
them - Exodus 20: 1-4.
You shall not make for yourselves idols, nor shall you set up for yourselves an image
or a sacred pillar, nor shall you place a figured stone in your land to bow down to it;
for I am the LORD your God – Ezekiel 20:24
Scripture constantly recalls this rejection of ‘idols, [of] silver and gold, the work
of men’s hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.’ These
empty idols make their worshippers empty: “Those who make them are like them;
so are all who trust in them.” - CCC: 2112
Idolatry consists in divinizing what is not God. Man commits idolatry whenever
he honors and reveres a creature in place of God, whether this be gods or demons…
Idolatry rejects the unique Lordship of God; it is therefore incompatible with
communion with God. – CCC: 2113
So what can we do?
As Catholics, we need to stay true to our Faith. Here are some suggestions:
· Attend Holy Mass as often as possible in our local, traditional churches
· Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation
· Attend Adoration
· Pray the Holy Rosary daily
· Pray for the Church, Pope Francis, cardinals, bishops, and clergy
· Study Church history
· Talk with others and speak up!
· Join local pro-life and pro-family teams
· Read as much as possible about what is going on in the Catholic Church and in the world
· Think and pray about what you can do in this spiritual crisis
· “Be not afraid!”
Videos to Watch
Dr. Taylor Marshall: How do I live as a Traditional Catholic? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5igC1X2kxg&t=1631s
John-Henry Westen with Alexander Tschugguel : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt0QddQkyU0
References
Butler, R.A. (1 April 2019). Mongabay: The Rain Forest. Retrieved from https://rainforests.mongabay.com/
Caserita Handicraft, retrieved from https://info.handicraft-bolivia.com/Pachamama-Mother- Earth-a346
Damian, C. The Virgin of the Andes: Art and Ritual in Colonial Cuzco ( 1995). Grassfield Pr.
EN News (19 October 2019). Retrieved from https://gloria.tvpost9WAEcFzDmGDA6MWGqC4QgQAnU
Mariani, D. (15 November 2019) Interview with Fr. Rich Simon. Relevant Radio, Green Bay, WI
Maestro JMC (12 November 2019) Divine Foolishness: Perennial Reflections. Further Thoughts on Pachamama and the Virgin of the Andes. Retrieved from https://divinefoolishness.blogspot.com/
The Broom Closet (28 April, 2013). Pachamama, Incan Earth Goddess. Retrieved from https://broomcloset.wordpress.com/2013/04/28/pachamama-incan-earth-goddess/
Wiki Didactic (January 13, 2013). What is the meaning of Pachamama? Retrieved from https://edukalife.blogspot.com/2013/01/concepts-and-definition-of-pachamama.html