Catholic, Protestant, Mayan Spiritualist… what do these categories imply? Who is permitted entry into these “religions” that contribute to the formation of different groups? Must they always be in conflict?
Guatemala is a country built on differences. While many nations make a claim to homogeneity for the sake of unification, Guatemala has always been a country of plurality. Home to a large mestizo population (who refer to themselves as Ladinos), there is an even larger contingent of Mayan peoples, around 60% of the total population. Within that Mayan population, there exist twenty-three different ethno-linguistic groupings.
Guatemala is considered to be one of the most Catholic countries of Latin America. Nevertheless, the influence of the Evangelical church is steadily growing, such that data indicates that the country now has the largest percentage of Evangelical Christians in all of Latin America. In the changing religious landscape of Guatemala, figures show that 60% of Guatemalans are Catholic, and 30% are Evangelical Christians. Mayan spirituality is more difficult to identify with a numerical figure, as many people profess to be another religion but also engage in Mayan spiritual practices. We can assume, however, that the majority of people who self-declare as Mayan also practice some form of Mayan spirituality. Rarely do these groups of believers converse with one another about their faiths. Rarely are there opportunities for different religious leaders to meet in a public format and to create a conversation with the greater community.
It is precisely this environment of plurality that our symposium attempted to mediate. On July 17th 2010, I and my fellow Fulbrighter Kara Andrade held a symposium entitled “El Día y El Destino: Desde los Derechos Hasta el 2012,” in which we heard from a panel of six religious leaders: three Mayan Daykeepers (leaders of Mayan community spiritual practices), an Evangelical Pastor, a director of a Christian community organization, and a Catholic Priest. The goal was to bring together leaders of these often opposing groups so that they could talk about what role religion might have in the future of Guatemala. Will religion continue to divide? Will Mayan spiritual practices only ever be recognized as tourism? Or will these leaders, in all of their differences, be a source of positive guidance and unification for future generations?
A Mayan Daykeeper once told me that Guatemala is a country of great faith. As a country that has been battered by a recent four-decade-long civil war and is still plagued by ongoing violence, many people look to ritual practices of faith for answers. These leaders, both Mayan and Ladino, were given space to speak in a public forum about what role they and their practices might have in leading the way for the future of Guatemala. While conclusive answers are rarely easy, through our symposium we discovered that religious groups are not insulated according to ethnic groups. A Mayan may be Catholic, Christian, or practice traditional beliefs and continue to be proud of their Mayan heritage. Whether Maya or Ladino, Catholic or Christian or Mayan Spiritualist, all Guatemalans share a desire for mutual respect and understanding.
The webcast of the symposium can be found recorded here on the HablaGuate website.
Jun B'ey Chik: The Road to Guatemala 