Okay, so this is one of those posts that is also a request for information. There are a few things we’ve encountered recently that I don’t quite understand. Perhaps there are some really simple explanations or perhaps it is due to huge cultural differences. I don’t know, you tell me.Let’s start with the facts. The Catholic population in Brazil is 85 to 90% depending on your source. This is a place that I consider VERY Catholic. I mean, Catholic holidays of the church are recognized as national holidays. The US is about 22% Catholic, again, depending on your source. I am part of that percentage which is why I am pondering the following issue.
Last week was Ash Wednesday, which means we don’t eat meat and we also take up this practice on Fridays throughout the rest of Lent. Or do we?
In the US, despite the lower number of Catholics, about this time of year every fast food restaurant around starts advertising their fish sandwich, cheese pizzas start getting special and seafood is much more noticeable.
However, around here (Curitiba, actually, although Maringa too) every person I saw on both Wednesday and Friday last week had a big slab of meat in front of them. Only one restaurant menu I saw even featured a fish option. My husband started talking to a coworker at lunch who was dining on red meat. He said he was Catholic, yet offered no explanation as to why he wasn’t abstaining from the stuff.
Now, I understand the idea of being a certain religion, but not practicing it. Many people I know would consider themselves in this situation. I also want to make it clear that I’m not making any kind of judgment call. I really don’t care if you eat meat on Friday and you are Catholic. That is your business, not mine, although I personally choose to abstain.
I’m just curious as to whether we have simply encountered the 10 to 15% who are not Catholic in this country, or if these Lenten practices really aren’t that big of a deal in Brazil. Do the majority not follow the church here? Is it just because Brazilians love red meat so much? Or maybe it is very different in different areas of the country?
I’m all ears. If you have knowledge, experience or opinion on the subject, spill.
9 comments:
It's interesting that you bring this up. I was raised in the church (Methodist) but don't personally practice any kind of religion. That said, in the US I always knew when Lent was coming up and had plenty of friends - even non-Christians - who would give something up for Lent. I think a lot of people look at it as a second chance at New Year's resolutions, and in a lot of ways it seems to have become a tradition that some people have disassociated from religion. I also had a few friends who would not eat meat on Fridays, and at our sorority throughout Lent Fridays were meat-free (I think in large part because of our Mexican kitchen staff).
Here in Chile, however, I haven't heard anything about Lent. I knew it was Mardi Gras/Carnaval thanks to friends and Brazil bloggers! The only demonstration of Christianity I've seen was two older ladies with ashes on their foreheads last week. I know that the approximately 70% of Chileans who are Catholic (and additional 15% of other Christians) aren't all practicing, but it does seem strange that I hear far less about Lent here than in the more religiously diverse US. Also in my experience last year, recognizting that it could depend on each family and my boyfriend's family isn't very religious, Easter isn't a big family day here whereas in the US it was always an excuse to get all the cousins, aunts and uncles together for a big meal.
I've noticed what in the US would be considered 'lack of practicing' among Catholics here in Belo Horizonte too. Like you, I'm not making a judgement, just an observation. (I personally am not Catholic, but a Primitive Baptist girl - can't find any of those around these parts!)
I also observed that last Friday when I made my husband go to the 50's style US diner (Eddie's Fine Burgers) for supper because I was totally craving a good burger (and totally blaming it on the baby!), the place was totally packed with Brasilians enjoying a great big hunk of beef.
I'll be following comments here, because I am also quite curious. In South Georgia, where I'm from, there weren't many Catholics, but when I lived in the midwest it seemed like nobody was having meat on Fridays during lent!
Emily (Chile) - Thanks for sharing your experiences. Man, I find it so interesting that these places we consider SO Catholic are different than the US, Catholic-ly speak. :)
Speaking of ashes. I almost mentioned that in the post. I don't think I've seen ashes outside of church both Ash Wednesdays that we have lived here. I saw more at my public university than around here. Not what I expected at all.
We also found last year that Easter didn't seem to be much of a big deal around the city, except for the chocolate eggs.
Emily (Brazil) - So glad I'm not imagining this. I'm not sure why I'm so interested, but it just has me perplexed. I've always thought the same thing, if there was one thing most Catholics I know did in the US, it was at least give up meat on Fridays during Lent.
A US-type burger joint there? My husband would be all over that!
Hey Lori. So many people that claim themselves as "catolicos" in Brazil, just do because they were told by their parents so. I mean no judgment at all, and I wasn't raised catholic by the way...but there are many people that don't have in fact any religion (if you consider religion as really practicing it), so it is common to say they are catholic...I have many friends that were baptized when babies and did their "primeira comunhao" and got married in the catholic church, but besides those 3 occasions, they didn't attend to church at all. I observed that Catholic here in the US really practice their religious activities. My boss is catholic and she is very involved with church activities (here in Arkansas people are very religion oriented). Your observation is a fact, and the only explanation I have is that they are just used to say they are Catholics if someone asks about their religion. In some places of Brasil, (especially up north), you will see a mix of Catholicism and African religion also. Umbanda for example has its roots in Catholicism, “espiritismo” and some African religions. I find it very interesting try to understand the history of religions :)
here, we don't have the habit of not eating meat on the wednesday of ashes... Only during the holly Friday (??? the one before easter). Then, most of the country won't eat meat due to Catholic tradition... but noone will ever do that on any other days of the year. I'm not catholic ( the last sensus of the country said catholics are now 70% )but I come from a catholic family and I have studied a lot about it too.
I hope it explains to you why Ash wednesday was so different for you...
Indeed as said before, many here don't really practice their religion, don't go to Church, just say they are catholics because their family is and their tradition is like that. But still, most people will follow the tradition of not eating meat on the friday before easter, but only then.
Bye Bye
Nadja
Fernanda - Thanks for your explanation. There are a lot of Catholics in the US that have the same practice of going to church about twice a year. :) However, like you, the areas I've been in people practice their religion more regardless of what it is.
Such a big difference because of all the problems going on with our church in the US I think people would almost rather not say they were Catholic if they didn't believe in practicing it.
Oh and I have heard about Umbanda. I find that incredibly interesting as well.
Nadja - So now you have me wondering if Catholics in Brazil view themselves as exceptions for church rulings. Do they tend not to follow what comes out of Rome?
I did some research as to whether the fasting and abstaining from meat were an optional thing and according to the church it is not. The words "required" were used and the Pope has referred to the practices as "divine law".
Now I'm even more interested. :) It is surprising that most in a country with so much catholocism wouldn't follow the practices required by the church.
Many people in the US don't follow exactly what the church says on many issues, but this is one they usually follow. Perhaps there is an issue most Catholic Brazilians follow that those in the US don't. Hmm...
Lori,
Most Catholics here in Brazil are not "practicing". However, Minas is generally considered the most Catholic state in the southeast and meat prices tend to fall during lent, because the old rule was that meat was prohibited during all of Lent. Now the Church prohibits eating meat only for Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Also, I spoke to someone who is a regular church goer and she said that the Church used to require that peole abstain from meat on Friday but got a lot of flack from the Evangelical churches, so it stopped that practice. Also the idea of giving something up (like chocolate) could acually lead to envy of someone eating chocolate, the sin actually cancelling out the good of the penience (sp?), so that practice is not required either. It has become a cultural thing to have bacalhau for Good Friday supper and even non-practicing Catholics tend to not have meat on Good Friday or commit sins (beer, sex, etc). Also, there is more emphasis on Good Friday and Holy week in general than Easter Sunday (which I would say is a pretty universal difference between Catholics and Protestants). Usually churches will re-enact the stations of the cross and crucifixion and there will be mass everyday during the week to celebrate each of the events of Holy Week.
Posting a late comment - I noticed this in Spain as well. I never saw anyone observing Lent by abstaining from meat. No one. My MIL goes to mass once a week but she is the ONLY one in the ENTIRE family who does so. But probably like Brazil, Spain's Catholics are hardly practicing. Most kids get baptisms and confirmations these days as a tradition or an occasion for a family get together/party, not because of any real religious fervor.
My DH and I got married in the church and since I am not Catholic I was afraid I would have to take a course or something, but no, all we had to do was pay a "donation" to the local Bishop. Even our friend who was raised Communist recently married his Catholic fiance in a church!
global gal - How interesting! Thanks for sharing your experiences. I'm always amazed how the same things can be so different. :)
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