“Santa Muerte” is Spanish for “Saint Death” or “Holy Death.” Its iconic image is venerated, prayed to, and even worshipped by millions of Mexicans and Americans. It is represented by a female skeletal figure wearing one of several differently colored robes and holding various objects, usually a scythe and a globe. To some worshippers, the scythe represents positive things, like the cutting (removal) of evil forces and influences from one’s life, or the cutting of harvest, which suggests hope and prosperity. However, to most people, the image of a skeleton holding a scythe is not positive imagery, nor does it immediately suggest positive things! As suggested by the name itself (“Saint Death”), many people view the image of Santa Muerte as a symbol of death, with the “globe” representing her universal power over death. This explains why the image of Santa Muerte is frequently used by drug cartels as a warning against any would-be opposition. As with all other forms of idolatry, the user/worshipper assigns his own meaning to the object, which is why some use Santa Muerte as a means of protection from their enemies, while others use it as source of physical power over their enemies.
The concept of reverencing Santa Muerte developed out of a combination of Meso-American “black magic” mysticism and Spanish Catholicism. It should be noted that the worship of Santa Muerte is condemned by the Catholic Church in Mexico. However, basic concepts and practices of Catholicism have obviously influenced the development of the worship of Santa Muerte – particularly, the use of relics, crosses, rosary beads, statues and other physical items for prayer and other acts of worship, the veneration of Mary and other (dead) saints, the belief in the intercessory role of (dead) saints, and prayer to Mary and other saints. Worshippers of Santa Muerte merely substitute “Saint Death” for Mary or other saints. As Catholics pray to a statue or other physical representation of “Saint Mary” or some other saint, the worshippers of Santa Muerte pray to a physical representation of “Saint Death.” Both are wrong.
The Bible teaches that prayer is to be made exclusively to GOD (Matthew 6:9; Acts 4:24; Phil. 1:3; Col. 1:3; 1 Thess. 1:2). It teaches that worship is reserved for God alone (John 4:23, 24; Revelation 19:10; 22:9), and that humans are not to be worshipped (Acts 10:26; 14:14, 15). The Bible also teaches that Christ is the sole mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 7:25) – not dead “saints.”
Most religious people know that the Bible condemns idolatry, but perhaps some fail to understand that it equally condemns the manufacture and use of carved images as spiritual objects (Exodus 20:4-5; Leviticus 26:1; Romans 1:23; Acts 19:24-ff). The essence of God cannot be captured by the artistic designs of human hands (Acts 17:25). Those who wish to be spiritual should turn to the instructions of the Spirit – the Word of God. They should not turn to idols, black magic or other cultic beliefs.
Tim Haile