Aneya: Easter in Chile

The beautiful Iglesia de San Fransisco in Castro, Chiloe

So, we've already mentioned in previous posts that Chile is a highly Christian country. Almost 90% of the population is Christian and most of them are Catholic.

Now, it's one thing for a country to 'say' they are totally Christian when in fact no one goes to church and it's another when the entire country are truly devout believers. I'd say Chile is the latter. I know lots of people who pride themselves on being "good Christians" when they haven't stepped in a church since they were 10 and they think wearing a bejeweled cross around their neck qualifies them to priesthood. It really drives me crazy.

But people here in Chile are old fashioned in the sense that they really are a religious nation. Take this past week, Easter, for instance. In the US there's lots of talk of Easter bunnies and painting eggs and eating chocolate and wearing pretty pastel dresses. Here, it's about going to church, for some it's walking for hours under the scorching sun, to get to the Virgin Mary.

When I was down in Puerto Montt, I noticed groups of people walking on the side of the highway. Now, there was nothing for miles and miles, and yet here they were, some with baby carriages, some with kids of their shoulders, walking down the highway. I asked my friend why they were doing this. He said they were going to pay their respects to the Virgin Mary. I asked why they couldn't just drive to see her. He said it was tradition, for Pascua, to walk. Wow. Now that's devotion!

When we were in Chiloe, I met a bunch of new friends and we all went out to sushi, as I mentioned. Well, one girl starting asking me the usual questions, where was I from, how long had I been in Chile and oh- are you Christian? I was taken aback by the question. No one in the US just flat out asks about your religious affiliations within minutes of meeting you! I answered her honestly and said no, I wasn't. She thought about it for a minute. Then she smiled and said "But you believe in Jesus Christ, our lord and Savior, yes?" Ummm....how are you supposed to answer that? There's only one thing to say: "Yes! Of course I do! Jesus, what a great guy!"

Talk about putting me on the spot! I guess people here just assume that everyone must be Christian so asking the question is sort of like asking, "So you like the Beatles?" There's a 90% chance the answer is yes. If not.....well, you can convince them to like them eventually.

In any case, it's not like the entire country is full of proselytizers, going around asking "Do you know where you're going when you die? Hell!" But still, it's definitely a change from the US. And yet some things remain the same.

At our hotel in Puerto Montt, we came down for breakfast one morning and guess what was on TV? MTV's "Teen Mom" I kid you not. My friend watched the show so much he already knew the couples "Oh, she's so mean to him, just watch". I looked at him in awe. I was shocked. So they get cable and they love all the same crap TV shows we do. But they also go to church consistently and talk about Jesus as if he were their BFF.

Oh, Chile. You continue to surprise me with your contradictory ways. But I still love you.