Christopher Columbus Symbolism

POPULAR CATHOLICISM
Christopher Columbus was the catalyst that would forever change the lives of the indigenous population of Central and South America. Catholicism would become the standard for religion as it would take the lead to provide the one true God. Catholicism had the true representative of God on earth in the form of the Pope. The Catholic church for the first time would tolerate the co-mingling of other religions as long as they followed along with Catholic tradition.
When the explorers arrived in the New World the Catholic Church was first and foremost willing to take over whatever land was "conquered" for God. With most new territories being gobbled up between Spain and Portugal an edict was proposed as to how the territories
Columbia’s Father Camilo Torres, broached the subject, silence on this subject was akin to a mortal sin. He would take his fight into the jungles and join a band of guerrillas. He gave his life in combat to keep the “gross injustice alive.” Peruvian theologian Gustav Gutierrez, while reading the Bible, enlightened him to the fact that God remains closest to the needy. Gutierrez express the following, “It is not a question of idealizing poverty,” he explained, “but rather of taking it on as it is—an evil—to protest against it and to struggle to abolish it.” During the 1970’s, Christian Base Communities were formed to bring small groups of people together to study the Bible, teach each other reading and writing to improve the community as a whole (Adriance). Bishop Ruiz and Mendez Arco worked in the poorest areas of their communities, on a daily basis struggled to better people’s lives, they would stand up for them against the government and injustice. In 1992, Bartoome Carrasco Briserio, Artour Lona Reyes, joined a group that would march from the Yucatán to Mexico City for the case of human rights
MacKay, stated that the Roman Catholic Church was the dominant religion in Latin America and that the Protestant Christianity movement was nonexistent. Across the globe, beginning in the latter part of the 20th century it has become evidently aware that Protestantism has made an inroad in Latin America through its efforts to bond more with the people through mutual religious respect. By allowing the indigenous people to practice their own religion with the Protestant influence has opened up many more doors and avenues of success (Sinclair). With life there is always changes and the reality is you have to work hard to remain on top. The Catholic Church failed to see change coming. In the early 20th century, challenges to Catholicism in Latin America began with the arrival of Pentecostal missionaries. In less than 100 years, Protestants/Pentecostals had more converts from Catholic Church than the Catholic Church and had in the previous 500 years. The Protestants listen to what the people from religious worship. People were allowed to keep their local traditions and customs, their ministers were local men who had more in common with the people. More importantly the Protestant congregations were more welcoming to new members in a communal family setting (Aldwinckle). The ever-growing defection of Catholic members to the Protestant religion needed a drastic solution. Church leaders knew their best hope was a compelling reason to stay or to come back to the Catholic