The Catholic Church isn’t known for its historic tolerance, and it certainly doesn’t tolerate Santa Muerte and her followers. Presumably, much of the Church’s frustration with Santa Muerte stems from the cultural perception that she is an actual Catholic saint – as her name suggests. To the leadership of the Catholic Church, this undermines the canonization process and the veneration of their chosen saints. In fact, the Vatican went so far as publicly denouncing the goddess of death in a statement released in 2013. According to BBC News, the President of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Culture, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, stated that “[the Cult of Santa Muerte] is not religion just because its dressed up like religion; it’s blasphemy against religion.”
