Religion(s) in Brazil - True Survivors?

The afternoon is transitioning into evening and I am very grateful to you for taking the time to drop in on my Blog for today's second post.

Even before moving here, when I was but a very rare English speaking visitor to Aracaju, one aspect of NE Brazil that struck me as fascinating was the religious life of the region.  Brazil is constantly afforded the title of largest RC population in the world.  It is true....but what is also true is that that number is falling in absolute terms and as a percentage of the population, while those identifying themselves as Protestant, members of 'other religions' (including Candomblé and Umbanda) or as members of no religion have all increased .  The PEW Research Centre has produce detailed work on this that shows:

-- RC numbers = 125 million in 2000, falling to 123 million in 2010 (74% to 65%).
-- Prot numbers = 26 million in 2000 rising to 42 million in 2010 (15% to 22%).
-- Other Rel numbers = 2 million in 1970, rising to 6 million in 2000 and to 10 million in 2010.
-- No Rel numbers = 1 million in 1970, rising to 12 million in 2000 and to 15 million in 2010.

It is also of note, in the PEW Research figures, that those of the Roman Catholic faith tend to be older and living in rural areas; it is the reverse for each of the other categories.  One might expect that such surveys would have been on the mind of the Pope during his visit to Brazil in July, for the Roman Catholic Youth Day Celebrations, and his words and the whole tenor of his journey may have been intended to arrest the decline, re-packaging Roman Catholicism in a way better matched to today's Brazil,to  today's youth and and in rather similar garb, message and conduct, to that we see amongst the Evangelists.

In the NE, I have found people either to be religious or to have cautious respect for the religious beliefs of others.  Christianity is one of the two dominant religion strains in our Region, of course, and it is in its relationship with the other that I find the major cultural contrast with what I have experienced previously in my life.  The other religious strand comprises what are variously termed voodoo and spiritualism, as practised through Candomblé, Umbanda and other sects in our area.

Candomblé as a mixture of Yoruba, Fon and Bantu beliefs which many term voodoo and originate from different areas of Africa, brought to Brasil by those enslaved to work the land here.   At the outset, therefore, one can already see it as a syncretic religion, combining elements of others and, in that, you see the nature of so many religions wherein they will adapt and accommodate aspects of existing beliefs and traditions to enable them to be accepted, to grow and expand their influence.  Indeed, the broad strain of belief that includes Candomblé has not stood still from those early days and groups have incorporated elements of Roman Catholicism over time.  I shall offer some observations on that process, and the relationship which has developed between the two belief groups which allows them to co-exist and blur their differences, or more, in order to survive and sustain influence within the community.  

Various wise folk have coined phrases such as 'adapt or die' (and doesn't the USMC say adapt, overcome, improvise), and in many religions we see that ably demonstrated.  If my grey (gray) matter can reach back as far as school, I recall Christianity assimilating key feast dates and a number of traditions from existing European religions as it sought achieve acceptance and increase its membership and influence.  One can think of:  the Yule log, purportedly from Germanic feast days; the use of lights and greenery at Christmas time, from the Roman new year; the whole idea of making merry and giving gifts at Christmas time, from the Roman Saturnalia and the very use of the word Yule, which was an existing Pagan Scandinavian winter festival.

Christianity has shown similar accommodation with West African voodoo beliefs in Brasil, and vice-versa.  

Salvador, capital of the State of Bahia to our immediate South, is generally accepted as the home of Candomblé in Brasil.  Its followers believe in one, all powerful God, Oludumare, below whom there are other deities, the Orixas, and chief amongst them (for most worshippers) is Iemanja/Yamaja (many spellings), the 'mother of mankind'; there is even one deemed to be the Orixa for gay people, Oxumare/Oshumare, the rainbow deity who is also of special relevance to protecting children.  Iemanja has a role which one could roughly align with that of Mary in the Roman church and some followers see them as the same entity, manifest in different times.  The Orixas watch over and can guide and protect human kind; with some believing each person has his/her designated Orixa to whom to appeal for help in life.

Music and dance is central to Candomblé.  Specific pieces may be played and dances danced to draw the Orixas to occupy/possess the performer....see below for what happens thereafter.  It has an oral tradition, with no sacred texts.

While not so widely written about, there are different brands/sects of West African voodoo with a major division being between the so called 'white' or 'black' strains.  I have only third party knowledge of the black side, but it is true to say that it is key in the lives of a number of followers in the NE.  You hear tales of all sorts of things being asked of the Orixas, for them to make this or that happen to a third party and, without going into the darkest recesses of such practices, I have met many 'normal' people who have sought potions and incantations to make someone fall in love with them or make something good befall them; or ill.

On the so called white side you have sects such as Umbanda that I have personally encountered and, in these, you again seem to find elements of the survival instinct where elements of Catholicism and West African voodoo are combined in spiritualist worship.  Attending a service one evening, I entered the temple/chapel and there, on the wall facing us all at the front of the room, was a large wooden cross.  Above it was a depiction of a aged, bearded male who I took to be God/Oludumare.  Below the cross were statues of Roman Catholic saints (I recall St Francis and St George, who are both believed to be powerful in Brazil) AND statues of the Orixas.  The key element of the ensuing service saw those who 'had the gift' dance around in front of the seats we occupied until some of the Orixas would occupy their minds and bodies.  After that, the congregation would be called up, one at a time, to sit with these human forms that were now this or that Orixa and talk with them.  People would thank them for things or, perhaps, ask how to deal with a vexing issue etc.  They would be given the advice of the deity and, perhaps, be required to pour certain liquids over themselves prior to showering in the morning and evening for a while etc.  This sect has drawn together elements of the Roman Catholic beliefs, the broad church of spiritualism and traditional Candomblé style West African traits.

Lastly, some brief tales which I hope provide further example of the survival tendency of some religions, as shown through Christianity and voodoo/Candomblé....  

We bumped into an RC priest, a few years ago in Salvador de Bahia.  It transpired that he was on his way to visit a Candomblé practitioner (maé de santo or pai de santo).  I assumed that he was on his way to berate him/her and either call for the person to change her/his ways and be saved or warn that they would burn in hell....but no.  It turned out that while he knew that his God listened to him and his flock and would, indeed, help them when implored to do so, God´s help could be slow in coming.  If the priest needed something to help one of his parishioners swiftly, he would seek the ministrations of a Candomblé practitioner.  Fascinating.  I would also note that many of the key dates in the Umbanda and Candomblé diaries, such as Iemanja´s Day, have also been selected as days for feast and festival by the local Christian churches, citing minor saints of whom I had never previously heard as the reason for celebration....but, perhaps, one can see another justification for allowing the flock a reason to celebrate on that day and avoid them taking their souls elsewhere?  I am not qualified to say.  Final example.  If an Umbanda style exorcism is carried out on a person or place and the evil or errant spirit/presence captured (I have attended one - fascinating), the materials used to capture the lost soul (perhaps soils, sands, natural grown food stuffs) will often be left on the steps of a Christian church.....''why'', I asked....to be told that the priest would 'know what to do' to help guide the soul back to the light.  Again, fascinating.

Well, that exhausts me on such religious topics for today.  My thanks to you for joining me and I do hope you will consider doing so again.

Just one post tomorrow, picking up on something from the overnight news; as the afternoon will see my tapping away on posts for my gay issues Blog.

Stay safe, until next time.

Dave