5/17/2013

Research Project English 11M | Jose Paulo Rodriguez

NARCO SANTOS THE RESEARCH

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I. Background
Mexicos catholic population percentage of people who consider themselves catholic has
been dropping significantly. In the last decade the catholic percentage went from an 88% that is
almost a full 5% percent drop of faithful believers in the whole Mexican country (Periodico La
Jornada). Jesus Malverde, La Santa Muerte, San Judas Tadeo, and other narco santos, drug
saints, are been worshiped in Mexico, saints which are not accepted by the Catholic Church. The
narco santos have become so popular that they even have followers not only in Mexico but in
United States too in places like New York where people pray hoping for a better future and good
luck because they say is Jesus Malverde is the saint of the poor (Zayra Cortes). Narco santos
have not only become part of the narcos itself but are bonding with other people around Mexico
and the United States.
Narco santos are approach mainly by narcos who want their drugs to safely get across the
border and be able to sell them here in the United States. Not only do narcos have faith in them,
they even take the band to the narco santo chapel once they feel the narco santo has made them
the favor (Jorge Perez Penne). Even some churches in Sinaloa Mexico think that if Jesus Christ
made Judas and Pedro into saint why not make this narco santos come saints accepted by the
church (Jonas Guerrero Bishop from Culiacan). While the new Federal Police Commissioner
Facundo Rosas Rosas said that the narcos are using religion as a shield to wash away their sins.
Also convincing people that what they are doing is cleaning the society and that the human is not
the one killing but the divine justice (El Universal).
The Catholic Church percentage of followers dropping, new saints are being created and
even some religious saint haven been taken by the narcos that is an issue that might be parallel to
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each other. The Catholic Church is affected by narco santos cult in Mexico. While there is not
much research done on this topic this research project will try to answer the question of; how
narco santos are affecting the catholic church and what impact are they having on the church.
II. Argument
My research sets focus on a particular question, that is: How has the Catholic Church
been affected by the saints that have come popular during todays drug war in Mexico, especially
between the narcos and other people as well? What this research is trying to show is the impact
that narco santos have had on the catholic church and how has this phenomenon affected the
culture and tradition of the church. After learning some of the background of narco santos like
Jesus Malverde and La Santa Muerte saints who are not recognized by the catholic church but
have become very popular between the middle class citizens and those who are involved in drug
trafficking.
I have taken the time to gather information from other people by conducting a survey
where 51 people answer a few questions related to narco santos. In my survey 31 females and 20
males who claimed to be Latinos in majority from which 90% were catholic and the other 10%
where Christian or Jehovah Witness.