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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Catholic Saints and Voodoo practice	karin	Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Question: I have heard that in the practice of voodoo, Catholic Saints are called upon, and statues of certain Saints are included on voodoo 'alters'. How can this be? I cannot believe a Catholic Saint would actually be involved in Voodoo. What is the official Catholic Church view on this, and how did the use of 'Saints" in Voodoo practice originate?
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Karin: Voodoo originates in West Africa. Some say that there are more than 30 million adherents to Voodoo in Africa. Voodoo was brought to the Caribbean and the Americas by slaves from Africa. In the Caribbean Islands Voodoo was, and is rather strong. Christian missionaries tried to evangelize these people and bring them to a faith in Christ. Many did convert, but many frustrated missionary would report that the people would attend Mass and then go home and practice a Voodoo ritual. It seems that Voodoo is a hard thing to get out of this culture and its people. What eventually happened is that the people took what they learned from the Christian missionaries about the saints, and combined it with their own ancestor worship to create a hybrid form of religion of Voodoo and Catholicism. This hybrid is their own invention and not approved by the Catholic Church, of course. The Saints they invoke do not participate in falsehood, but I am sure the Saints love these people, as does our Lord, and trues to lead them away from Voodoo and into the light of God. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Catholic Saints and Voodoo practice

karin

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Question:

I have heard that in the practice of voodoo, Catholic Saints are called upon, and statues of certain Saints are included on voodoo 'alters'. How can this be?

I cannot believe a Catholic Saint would actually be involved in Voodoo. What is the official Catholic Church view on this, and how did the use of 'Saints" in Voodoo practice originate?

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Karin:

Voodoo originates in West Africa. Some say that there are more than 30 million adherents to Voodoo in Africa.

Voodoo was brought to the Caribbean and the Americas by slaves from Africa. In the Caribbean Islands Voodoo was, and is rather strong. Christian missionaries tried to evangelize these people and bring them to a faith in Christ. Many did convert, but many frustrated missionary would report that the people would attend Mass and then go home and practice a Voodoo ritual. It seems that Voodoo is a hard thing to get out of this culture and its people.

What eventually happened is that the people took what they learned from the Christian missionaries about the saints, and combined it with their own ancestor worship to create a hybrid form of religion of Voodoo and Catholicism.

This hybrid is their own invention and not approved by the Catholic Church, of course. The Saints they invoke do not participate in falsehood, but I am sure the Saints love these people, as does our Lord, and trues to lead them away from Voodoo and into the light of God.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.