It is better to err frequently through thinking well of a wicked man, than to err less frequently through having an evil opinion of a good man, because in the latter case an injury is inflicted, but not in the former. ST II-II 60, 4 ad 1
It is a sin to judge people rashly, or when you do not have the authority to do so. (See my article in HPR.)
So what do we do when faced with a situation like the pachamama in the Vatican? Here is an action seemingly condoned by the Pope that appears gravely evil. There is a reason that the commandment prohibiting idolatry is the first commandment - it is the gravest of evils! No one of us would condone idolatry!
Was the pachamama in the Vatican gardens worshipped as a graven image?
Some have decided emphatically 'yes' in a sort of knee-jerk reaction. But there is a judgment required. More than one judgment, in fact.
· First, we must judge whether the objective action chosen was in fact idolatry. (This is called the "object of the moral act.")
· Second, whether the Amazonians performing the ceremony intended to commit idolatry.
· And third, whether the Holy Father did indeed condone idolatry.
Personally, in charity, I do not feel at all prepared to make those judgments myself. But I can comfortably come to several preliminary conclusions.
As to the third judgment, the Holy Father has denied that the statue was being worshiped as an idol:
"...the pachamama statues...were there without idolatrous intentions."
And the virtue of piety demands that I believe him to be telling the truth. (Again see my article.)
As to the first judgment, the nature of the objective action is not so clear in this case. Some say the action in question was obviously a religious ceremony. But the ceremony was not done in a Church nor was it part of a liturgy. It was actually a tree-planting ceremony in honor of St. Francis. Yes, there were prayers said as part of the event, and rightly so. Prayer should adorn all our activities.
Click on the video above and take a look at the Amazonian prayer part of the ceremony for yourself. There is a group holding hands around a tapestry with various items on it including a coconut, lit candles, and statues. The female prayer leader shakes a maraca and they all raise their hands in song.
It vaguely reminds me of my family rosary at home when I was a child. Some sat and some kneeled in a circle. We had certain aids to prayer in front of us - pictures of the mysteries, maybe pictures of people we were praying for. I can imagine we might have had a doll or stuffed animal or some other symbol of God's gifts to us. At the end of our rosary we would say the Fatima Prayer of Reparation, bowing all the way down till our heads touched the floor.
Now imagine if someone walked in while we were praying and saw our actions. Would they conclude that we were worshiping the items in our midst, our symbols used to aid prayer? Would they note the fact that we were bowing down as proof of idolatry?
After the prayer the Holy Father blessed one of the participants along with one of their items - it appears, at their request, and then they gifted this item to him. It was a pachamama statue.
If I thought they were clearly reverencing a statue as an idol, yes, I would be very disturbed! But I did not see that in the video, did you?
Imagine instead that this had been a group of Americans gathered, and that they had an American flag which stood out amongst their items to which they gave special significance. Does it mean that the flag is an idol just because it is treated with respect? On the contrary, we treat the flag respectfully because of our fatherland that it represents. That respect is part of the virtue of piety.
Several times at my Traditional parish there has been a young scout standing in the sanctuary holding up a flag throughout the Mass while we knelt in that direction!! I'm not saying I think that is exactly appropriate, but I would certainly not call that idolatry.
At another Novus parish they sang America the Beautiful as a recessional hymn. That's definitely not a sacred hymn... but does that make it a pagan practice?
Granted the pachamama statue is a bit more offensive-looking to us than a flag. (Different people, different customs, many of which need redeeming.) But... could it be that the pachamama is also just a symbol, much like our flag?
If it is just a symbol and not an idol, then what does the pachamama statue represent?
I think answering this question is necessary before making a judgment about any individual's or group's intentions. Of course, regardless of how we answer that question, there may be those who actually in their heart were indeed committing idolatry that day. Still that need not be our first conclusion. We should not be quick to take scandal, as St. Thomas is also quoted as saying (in that HPR article.)
Some have thought the very name 'pachamama' in itself signifies a goddess, and that therefore anyone using the name is clearly recognizing the statue as an idol. But apparently this is not actually the case. I came across an article which was enlightening in this regard. I quote:
If the official sources from REPAM [The Pan-Amazonian Church Network – one of the driving forces behind the Amazon Synod] do not view Mother Earth as a pagan goddess, why do they mention Mother Earth at all? Why do they see “Mother Earth” as a worthwhile concept to use in the first place? From my research, the use of “Mother Earth” by REPAM stems from two major influences. The first of such influences is St. Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Creatures, named in the original language as Laudato Si’ (from whence Pope Francis named his influential encyclical). In this Canticle, the saint sings: “Praised be you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains us and directs us bringing forth all kinds of fruits and colored flowers and herbs.” ...The second influence is the environmentalist movement... I have perused them all and found that every single Pachamama mention in REPAM sites has some connection with environmental advocacy, not pagan or spiritual beliefs. (my translation) "For the peoples of Living Well, the Earth is Pachamama, Mother of life, our mother. We are born of her and we need her to live. The big invitation is this: live and socialize in harmonious relations with the Earth, which demands relations of cooperation among us: persons, communities, peoples, mankind. And live our relations with God in these relations of cooperation between us and in the harmonious relations with the Earth. Everything is interconnected, and God has made himself as one of us to reveal that he is present in all these relations." Introducing people to pagan rituals is not the focus, either of REPAM, or of the Synod. The focus (or rather, one of the focuses) is the proper relationship of Man and Nature in the context of widespread environmental destruction. The references to Mother Earth / Pachamama are to be understood in this context.
Please feel free to read the entire article if you want more context. I find it helps me to avoid taking scandal about this event and rather to judge for the best, as virtue demands.
So then on to the second judgment: did the Amazonians intend to practice idolatry that day? It is reasonable to conclude from REPAM's words that no, they did not. These people see the pachamama as a symbol of their fatherland, much like we view the flag. Only this fatherland they personify as Mother Earth. Again, stripping this practice of any possible extremist political agenda, respect for our homeland is part of the virtue of piety. It seems possible that they were not worshipping this statue, but thanking God for their home that it represents.
He who interprets doubtful matters for the best, may happen to be deceived more often than not; yet it is better to err frequently through thinking well of a wicked man, than to err less frequently through having an evil opinion of a good man... ST II-II 60, 4 ad 1
Have you ever had anyone interpret your well-intentioned actions as evil? I have. And I know how devastating it is to be the victim of a "witch-hunt." I have to agree with St. Thomas. I'm not willing to do that to others.
Is this naïve? On the contrary, it is naïve to act unwisely on account of having certitude that is out of proportion to our knowledge. In order to act appropriately, we must make private interior judgments it is true, but in doing so we should remember that our certitude is limited in proportion to the certitude of the limited information at hand. This is true with ideas and events, but it is especially the case when we are judging people, where charity trumps all.
On the other hand...
Just because we give these individuals the benefit of the doubt regarding their intentions, this does not prove definitively that idolatry did not take place that day. The pachamama has had a history of being used by the indigenous people as an idol. Is it really possible to have it re-purposed to give glory to the Creator of the earth? Sadly, the confusion surrounding the pachamama in this case has not made that impression, but only caused scandal.
I personally think that as a matter of prudence I would not want to have anything to do with a pachamama statue or anything else which at one time was a pagan idol, especially of a naked woman. (In fact I think a TV screen is quickly taking on that sort of connotation and so I refuse to have one in the center of our living room.)
As abhorrent to me as idolatry is, I made a Holy Hour of Reparation following that Amazonian tree-planting ceremony, just in case.
If we are to make a difference in the Church it will not first be by political railings or by taking offense, but by pursuing personal holiness.