By Johania Charles
When the clock strikes three in the afternoon, Barry is flooded with the melodic gong of the chapel’s bell showing pride in upholding Catholic values.
Yet, those who practice “taboo” religions do not have that religious luxury. World religions like Santeria, Candomble, Vodou, Wicca, and Celticism aren’t openly practiced by their followers because it would incite fear in non-practitioners.
And, the myths, misconceptions, and rumors are widespread. Brazilian English junior Ana Carolina Aguiar shared what she knew about a taboo religion in her region.
“My mom always says that if you pass a red house [in Brazil], chances are it’s a Candomble temple,” said Aguiar.
Sports management senior Jonathan Dominique believes there should be education on these religions to avoid ignorant speculation.
“Being of Haitian descent, hearing certain stories about [Vodou practices] back in Haiti makes it scary. People are usually scared of things they don’t know or understand,” said Dominique.
Surprisingly, some of these religions have incorporated symbols borrowed from Catholicism.
Barry chaplain Fr. Cristóbal Torres, OP urged everyone to take a closer look at these religions in the hopes of building a tolerance to different faith traditions.
“The word Catholic means universal. Anything we can learn about each other’s culture and religious practices is extremely valuable. It’s important to know how to be true to your own faith while being respectful of other people’s culture,” said Fr. Torres.
African Diasporic Religions
African Diasporic religions were influenced by Catholicism during the transatlantic slave trade. Slaves combined their own religious practices with the beliefs imposed on them by their slave owners.
Santeria
Regla de Ocha commonly referred to as Santeria, originated in Cuba from the descendants of West Africans. The word Santeria comes from the Spanish word “Santo” meaning saints. It is based on the Yoruba religion of West Africa and merges Yoruba nature spirits known as “orishas” with popular saints.
Interestingly, the orisha counterpart of Santa Barbara is Changó— the god of thunder and representation of male sexuality and power.
As mentioned in the Miami New Times back in 2011, popular Latin singer Jennifer Lopez is a Santeria practitioner.
Candomble
Candomble, on the other hand, follows the same tradition of Yoruba spirituality but is practiced in Brazil.
There are two levels of priesthood: one is declared as a low-level Orisha (saint) and the higher level is called Babalawo, which translates to “father of secrets.”
Candomble practices were depicted in Beyonce Knowles’ “Hold Up” music video for her Lemonade album where she resembles the popular Yoruba deity (Oxúm) who holds the keys to love.
Vodou
Vodou in the Fon language means spirit. This monotheistic religion is founded on the belief that both the physical and unseen world is inhabited by the living or ancestral spirits.
The goal of the religion is to serve the spirits known as loa, who are the mediators between Bondye (God) and man.
European Religions
Wicca
Founded in England in the early 20th century, Wicca emphasizes the healing power of herbs and the freedom to do anything one wants if it doesn’t cause harm.
Anyone who has listened to “Almeda” from Solange Knowles’ When I Get Home album may have just nodded through the mention of Florida Water without grasping its significance. The lyrics “black faith still can’t be washed away, not even in that Florida Water,” refers to the liquid used for ritual offerings and purification by Wiccans.
According to popular magazine Elite Daily, Knowles - a self-proclaimed witch - showed up with a bottle of it at the 2018 Met Gala.
Wiccans celebrate Halloween and certain moon phases by meditating and invoking the help of deities through ceremonial magic.
Celtics
The Celtic religion is much older than Christianity. Prominent Celtic gods include Dana, Cernunnos, Lugh and, Brigid.
Celts often have feasts and festivals to celebrate different seasons. Samhain is celebrated on Nov. 1 to mark the end of the warm season and combines the Celtic New Year’s Day celebration with Christian’s All Soul’s Eve holiday.
