Traditionalist Mexican-American Catholic Church
The Traditionalist Mexican-American Catholic Church (Iglesia Católica Tradicionalista mexicana-estadounidense), sometimes known as the Traditionalist Mexico-USA Tridentine Catholic Church, was an independent Catholic church in North America. They broke away from the Catholic Church over their veneration of Santa Muerte. They are primarily active in the border regions of the United States and Mexico and have a particular presence among the Mexican immigrant communities in major United States cities. David Romo Guillén has been the current archbishop and primate of the Church since 1993, but was arrested on 2011 due to criminal charges, and the church is now no longer operational.
| Traditionalist Mexican-American Catholic Church | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Catholic |
| Archbishop | David Romo Guillén |
| Region | Mexico, United States |
| Origin | 2003 Mexico |
| Separated from | Roman Catholic Church |
| Members | 2,000,000 |
| Official website | |
Beliefs and organization
The Church follows both the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed, maintains the seven sacraments, an all-male priesthood, are open to homosexuals in the faithful and, generally speaking, are socially conservative on abortion but do not practice clerical celibacy, allow contraceptives and do not require chastity before marriage. They also maintain their veneration of the Mexican folk saint Santa Muerte, which the Catholic Church had condemned as blasphemy and as Satanic.[1] They reject Papal infallibility, the Immaculate Conception, and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.[2]
Church services are conducted every Sunday and attendees often invoke the name of the Santa Muerte to intercede before God, rather than other saints, and leave offerings to the folk saint. The church follow the Roman Catholic practice of baptism, holy communion, confirmations, weddings, exorcisms and the praying of rosaries.[3]
David Romo
David Romo | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop of Traditionalist Mexican-American Catholic Church | |
| Other posts | Director of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart and Saint Philip of Jesus |
| Orders | |
| Rank | Archbishop |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | David Guillen Romo |
| Born | 1959 Mexico |
| Nationality | Mexican |
| Denomination | Independent Catholic (Santa Muerte) |
David Romo Guillén was born on 1959 in Mexico and raised in a Catholic family. A former member of the Mexican Air Force, he was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest and later the Director of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart and Saint Philip of Jesus (Spanish: Misioneros del Sagrado Corazón y San Felipe de Jesús). Romo then founded the Traditionalist Mexican-American Catholic Church and declared himself Archbishop of that Church. In 2002, he founded the National Sanctuary of the Santa Muerte and the Church became officially registered by the Mexican government the following year.[4] In 2011, Romo was arrested and charged with drug trafficking, kidnapping and money laundering. He, along with several followers, were sentenced to 66 years in prison.
Status in Mexico
Due to the connection between Santa Muerte and drug trafficking in Mexico, the Mexican government ruled that the Church did not have the qualifications for a religion and removed the Church from the list of officially recognized religions. Protests arose in 2006 among church members, yet the Church can legally worship without recognition from the government.[5]
References
- "El culto a la Santa Muerte: un estudio descriptivo". Udlondres.com. Retrieved 2014-03-10.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-08-30. Retrieved 2009-08-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "MEXICAN-U.S. CATHOLIC APOSTOLIC TRADITIONAL CHURCH".
- "All rogues lead to Romo".
- Villarreal, Hector (2009-04-05). "La Guerra Santa de la Santa Muerte" [The Holy War of Santa Muerte]. Milenio semana (in Spanish). Mexico City: Milenio. Archived from the original on 2009-10-16. Retrieved 2009-10-07.