According to some locals, the answer is, Yes. But what saith the Archdiocese of Santa Fe (whose jurisdiction covers Albuquerque)? The Albuquerque Journal published an article about a Feast, exhibit hosted by the National Hispanic Cultural Center about Our Lady of Guadalupe which consists of various works of art that have been crafted in her honor.[1]
The fact that the title of the exhibit is Guadalupe: Goddess of the Americas raises some questions particularly considering that this is no mere art exhibit but an art show that will be joined by the Feast of Guadalupe Celebration. A mere art exhibit that refers to Our Lady of Guadalupewho is said to be an apparition of Mary, Jesus motheris one thing, but the celebration of a Roman Catholic Feast which refers to her as a goddess is quite another.
Succinctly stated, the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe is said to have occurred in 1531 AD with the earliest written narration of this event dating from 1649 AD. The apparition was to Juan Diego just outside of Mexico City and the specter specified the location where a temple was to be built and dedicated to her. The temple was to be a place in which she was to be loved, invoked and confided in, where she was to be prayed to, where she would remedy miseries, afflictions and sorrows, where she would reward her adherents, where she would offer her protection, health and where she affirmed that her adherents are her fold.
These, clearly un-biblical, requests were stated in the particular location of Tepeyac (or, Tepeaquilla) which once housed a temple to the Aztec goddess Tonanzin (or, Tonantzin). This is where the supposed Mary asked that un-biblical practices be conducted in glorification of herself. While, sadly, Juan Diego was not educated enough of Christian theology to respond to the apparition by stating, The LORD rebuke you! Fray Bernardino de Sahagun was more discerning as he wrote the following in 1576:
In this place there was a temple dedicated to the mother of the gods, who is called Tonantzin, which is to say, our mother now that there is the church of Our Lady of Guadalupe they call her Tonantzin, taking advantage that the preacher call Our Lady, the Mother of God, Tonantzin It appears a satanic invention to palliate idolatry under the equivocation of this name Tonantzin This devotion is suspicious, because in all parts there are many churches of Our Lady and they do not go to them; and they come from distant lands to this Tonantzin, as they did a long time ago.[2]
Mark and Louise Zwick note that Fray Bernardino de Sahagun stated that the apparition was a satanic invention, because of his fear that the indigenous would return to their old idols.[3] The indigenous not only returned to their old idols but took the Roman Catholics back with them. Note that during Vatican II the Bishop of Cuernavaca, Mexico stated, Devotion to Mary and the saints, especially in our countries, at times obscures devotion to Christ.[4]
So, what saith the Archdiocese of Santa Fe? Where they involved in the Feast? Did they approve of the premisereferring to Mary as a goddess? If not involved, what do they think of referring to Mary as a goddess? A Feast is surely administered by a priest.
Such questions remain unanswered as they have not responded to four requests asking such questions.
One thing is certain regarding commitment to Mary in whichever form she is said to have appeared; as rendered by the Roman Catholic translation, The New American Bible:
But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts may be corrupted from a sincere [and pure] commitment to Christ (2nd Corinthians 11:3).
Further info:
MARY in Roman Catholicism
On the Treatment of Images
Everything the Bible Says About Mary
Examples of Extreme Deception
Notes:
[1] Dan Mayfield, Beyond Faith - Feast, exhibit celebrate the Virgin of Guadalupe, and icon of the Americas who transcends religion, Albuquerque Journal, December 13, 2009, p. F1-2
[2] Original Spanish text in Bernardino de Sahagún, Historia General de las Cosas de Nueva España, Vol. III, Editorial Porrúa, Mexico 1977, p. 352. English translation by D. A. Brading, Mexican Phoenix, pp. 214-215
[3] Mark & Louise Zwick, A Saint for Nobodies, Why San Juan Diego Means so Much to Us, Houston Catholic Worker, Vol. XXII, No. 5, Sep.-Oct. 2002, p. 9
[4] Xavier Range, Vatican Council II (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1968), p. 161
Comments
Idolatry is saddest when it has a Christian face on it. Many Catholics do not believe in the Marian apparitions as genuine, and yet they refuse to stand against their acceptance by the church. Too many misguided Catholic leaders see them as being good for the faith. They should learn from the Orthodox, Protestant, and even older Roman Catholic views on this subject and repent of the idolatry.
SOMETHING THAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT I DON'T GO TO THE CHURCH
BUT I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE VIRGIN OF GUADALUPE AND JESUS.
THE APPARITION OF THE VIRGIN OF GUADALUPE IS A REALLY MANIFESTATION OF THE LOVE OF GOD THROUGH HER.
GOD ASK ALL THE HUMANITY TO HAVE CONFIDENCE AND FAITH BECAUSE THESE ARE THE TOOLS MORE IMPORTANT IN THE WAY OF THE LORD.
NO ONE CAN LIMIT THE MANIFESTATIONS OF GOD, GOD ALWAYS IS TALKING TO ALL THE PEOPLE AND HE CAN DO IT IN MANY WAYS AND THE APPARITION OF THE VIRGIN OF GUADALUPE IS ONE OF THEM.
THE VIRGIN OF GUADALUPE IS REALLY SPECIAL AND SHE ASKED TO ALL THE PEOPLE PRAY THE ROSARY, WHICH IS REALLY BEAUTIFUL TO PRAY IT.
FOR UNDERSTANDING THE THINGS OF GOD IS REALLY IMPORTANT THE LOVE,CONFIDENCE AND FAITH. THE LOVE IS IMPORTANT IN THE WAY OF THE LORD.
A HEART FULL OF LOVE WITH INNOCENSE CAN FALL IN LOVE TO GOD.
FOR ME DON'T EXIST SEPARATION GOD, THE VIRGIN OF GUADALUPE AND JESUS IN THE UNITY.
What I truly find sad is people who actually believe a religion invented by a bunch of Europeans in the 16th century(i.e Protestantism) is the Biblical religion. The idea apparitions are "un-biblical" is comical in light of the fact apparitions of Moses & Elijah appeared next to Jesus on mount Tabor.
Of course Mary's Queenship is 100% biblical
www.catholic.com/thisrock/1998/9812fea2.asp
Some other sites true Bible Christian may want to check out.
www.catholic.com/library/Saint_Worship.asp
www.catholic.com/library/Rosary.asp
www.catholic.com/library/Praying_to_the_Saints.asp
www.catholic.com/library/Private_Revelation.asp
www.catholic.com/library/Scripture_and_Tradition.asp
A Quick Ten-Step Refutation of Sola Scriptura
www.catholic.com/thisrock/2004/0409fea3.asp
I'll see your links and raise you one, because it is simply not the case:
http://www.truefreethinker.com/articles/roman-catholic-maryology-mary-ro...
but we are not talking about apparitions are we BenYachov. We are talking of worshipers kneeling before marble and plaster. I think our Arab prophet Mohammed peace be upon him would agree with me: lets bring down all the idols and break them to a thousand peices, ban statues in churches like the Orthodox Church has done, let the light of the Lord shine again from our hearts. A church is a sanctuary and a place to connect with God, the unseen.
Anonymous- if you don't have pictures of your family, or of your vacation spots or mementos of things in your life, then you can talk about "idol worship." We surround ourselves with reminders of our faith. We pray in front of a statue, not TO a statue! How barren our places of worship would be without those reminders of the Creator of all things "seen and unseen."
God did not condemn making images, He condemed making images in order to serve them:
http://www.truefreethinker.com/articles/treatment-images-part-i-ii
The Lady on the tilma has the palms of her hands together in prayer. Goddesses don't pray! This is the pregnant Woman of Rev. 12,, clothed with the sun, moon under feet, born on eagles wings. Just as Marian devotion trumped that of Diana of Ephesus, Marian devotion trumps the pagan tonantzin. Ave Maria!
"Goddesses don't pray!"? When the Son, Jesus, came in the flesh, He was fully God and fully man and He prayed.
Now, if the Lady on the tilma is the pregnant woman of Rev. 12 you have trouble either way--if you hold to Roman Catholic dogma.
The woman of Rev. 12 is crying out due to the pain of childbirth. Thus, if that woman is Mary then she was not immaculately conceived (as she suffers from the curse of the fall, see Gen 3) or, Mary was immaculately conceived but is not that woman.
You cannot have it both ways.
In fact, you can see footnotes from Roman Catholic bibles that say that the woman is not Mary, here is the info:
http://www.truefreethinker.com/articles/roman-catholic-maryology-mary-ro...
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