Easter reflections: el Papa

     Having a week away from school means more relaxing than advisable, and a good dose of Spanish culture. It's not that the environment here is lacking of diversity, but there's a big difference between going to a Mexican food restaurant and watching Spanish dubbed TV at home. You see, my mother's television is permanently on SAP (which stands for second audio program) mode. This means, those two hours of Grey's Anatomy on Lifetime are dubbed in Spanish, and let me tell you, Seattle Grace has never sounded so salacious...
     Getting on with the topic at hand though, it was only when I got home that I heard that His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, was going to arrive in Mexico. Coverage on Univision (the main Spanish language channel from my youth, and still the channel that my non-Spanish speaking friends at least recognize) included reports on the towns, information about the last time the Pope had been in Mexico, and how different it was now that Benedict instead of John Paul, was visiting. Of course, the day he arrived in Mexico, Univision had planned extensive coverage and one of their reporters was on the Alitalia plane with the pope himself. I missed out on seeing the plane itself landing, but everyone except my father, who was at work, watched those first moments when he landed. And then, my brother asked, why are we watching this?

Would Bank of America do this?

     I've always considered my religion as more of a cultural byproduct. It's about my family getting together and going to church (the same church my parents went to when they first came to the US) and then going to the same Salvadoran deli that we've been going to as long as I remember for some authentic food. But here I was, watching the pope, and there was still the same sense of awe and wonder. Now, it may just be his fancy clothing, but he still represents so much to so many people. People assume that Latinos are more religious than non-Latinos, and to some extent, I do believe that to be true, but looking at the numbers in Mexico itself, it's easy to see why the pope went. If you take a look at this article from the Economist, the first figure they throw at you is 83% of Mexico is Catholic. In the area where he stayed, Guanajuato, 94% of the population is Catholic. These figures are impressive, but it lends itself to the question: why preach to the converted?
     The article goes on to mention the fact that Evangelical communities offering social benefits have been creeping their way into Mexico and loosening the grip of the Catholic Church in Mexico. Add into the mix instability in Mexico, and such benefits are not only a relief to the people, but also solace in a country that has been in the midst of violence directly related to the drug trade. We have family friends from Mexico that we spent the Fourth of July with last year, and they told us how schools in entire towns had been closed down because of teachers fearful of being killed and parents frightened for the safety of their children. If the news has escaped anyone, I would be surprised. Since 2006, violence has been quietly escalating, but dismembered and beheaded bodies are sure to have left their mark on the Mexican public.
     In this environment, there was an obvious concern for the safety of the pope when he announced he was going to visit Mexico, and Univision was sure to offer commentary on the point. They used a term (which I cannot for the life of me remember) which essentially suggested that the various drug cartels had issued a ceasefire during the papal visit. I remember I turned to my mother and asked her what it was, but she simply shrugged because it was likely a term that the Mexican media had created to describe this ceasefire. Essentially, the drug cartels decided to keep the violence to a minimum when the pope was visiting. After all, they may be murders, but they understand the impact of the pope in society. I even told my sister, they know better than to mess with the Catholic Church, because that would be one offense too many for the government and the public. That may be taking the importance of the pope in Mexico a bit far, but how many public figures are able to impact the region they visit so deeply?
     At the end of the trip in Mexico, there was general consensus that it had been a success, and a once in a lifetime event for many of the people who were able to glimpse him, but it does leave a curious question in my mind. I grew up with Univision news bulletins interrupting the novelas I would watch with my mother. Take a minute to look at this page to see how my image of the pope has been been shaped. The golden warm tone, the cross on the right...these are images I saw when I was younger. I cried when John Paul II died. And while I'm not as religious as some might be, the pope remains, in my mind, one figure you don't, almost can't criticize. So, I have to wonder, how much was I conditioned while watching my novelas? How much more did I learn about Mexican culture watching Univision?

* Here's a nice rundown by the BBC on the drug-related violence in Mexico and if you look here is a report (in Spanish) about preparations in Mexico, which at 1:03 shows the billboard I screencapped!