Santa Muerte in Mexico: Why Devotion to the “Saint of Death” Keeps Growing
Santa Muerte in Mexico: Why Devotion to the “Saint of Death” Keeps Growing Quick Answer Santa Muerte is a Mexican folk saint depicted as a robed female skeleton, but she is not recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church. Her modern devotion draws heavily on popular Catholic practices, Mexican traditions surrounding death, and centuries of evolving religious imagery. Devotees commonly petition her for protection, health, work, love, money, justice, and security. Her association with organized crime is real but incomplete; academic research shows a far broader and more socially diverse devotional community. Claims that she has tens of millions of followers or is the Americas' fastest-growing religious movement should be treated cautiously because reliable membership data do not exist. A skeletal woman stands beneath flowers and flickering candles. She may wear white, red, black, gold, or other richly decorated robes. A scythe rests in one...