Rose of Lima, more a catholic tool than a crazy girl

Today was celebrated Saint Rose of Lima, and as a tradition, I dedicate today's post to her. I did the same thing last year, presenting facts that "mythbusted" her supposed miracles.


This year, thanks to Rocio Silva Santistevan's blog, we will learn how this girl, with an insane liking for masochism, became one of the best know Latin American saints.

Some years ago, Jorge Rivero conducted a study for the Somos magazine with some psicoanalists to diagnose Rose of Lima. I think it was an interesting study, since beside some preconceived ideas that portray her as a masochist, we were able to understand some searches, even though, without leaving behind the "pathology" aura that is greater than the one of sanctity.

Obviously, someone has to pretty dumb to think that someone who thinks can talk to baby Jesus and flagellates herself continuously is mentally stable.

Luis Millones also has many articles about the importance of Santa Rosa's stay in Quives, where she learned how to use herbs from the native population

That's interesting and very commendable, to use folk medicine to help sick people (remember that, at that time, medicine wasn't very advanced), but that eventually became a "miracle"thanks to the catholic propaganda. This portrays Rose of Lima as a nice person, something I have never denied, by the way.

Also, Eduardo Adrianzén wrote the play "Espinas" based precisely in Saint Rose of Lima and her fellows who did similar things to her at that time. The other "illuminated" girls didn't depend from any ecclesiastic hierarchy but from their confesors. This is the reason some of them ended in the Inquisition and were not "saints", but even were considered heretics. Saint Rose of Lima had as a confesor a Dominic, and the Dominics, let's not forget, were those in charge of the inquisition in Lima. She went to the tribunal and was acquitted.

In other words, Saint Rose of Lima had "people inside" and didn't end up like the other girls like her, accused of heresy. Instead, since she was not accused, she was used as propaganda for the highly religious and credulous population of Lima at that time. Her sainthood and miracles were happily embraced by the people, who were happy to have their own saint. Of course, the catholic church didn't bother to disprove such claims. Instead, they have been using her fame until today, even in the most ridiculous ways:

Saint Rose of Lima will receive wishes via email

The Archbishop of Lima has opened a "virtual mailbox" so that the faithful from everywhere can send her petitions to the "Patron of the Americas" during her day

In the address grupo_sntarosa@hotmail.com, the archbishop receives the petitions from those who can't go to her sanctuary in Lima Downtown and promises to put those messages in her "Well of the wishes" in which every year thousands of people give their wishes to the saint

The title itself is a joke. It makes me think of something like...


Yeah, something like that. The archbishop is so desperate to get young people's attention and involve them in child-like games like throwing letters with wishes in a well with hopes that Rose of Lima will read them. That is a tradition I followed during all my years in my private catholic high school. A kids game, game that persist among many grown ups. Pitiful and sad show.

Hopefully one day that will change and more people will start thinking critically and put religion and its irrational beliefs aside. Hopefully, one day.