Vatican City, Oct 16, 2019 / 07:18 am (CNA).- Fr. Giacomo Costa, a communications official for the Amazon synod, said Wednesday a wooden figure of a nude pregnant woman, which has been present at events related to the synod, is not the Virgin Mary, but is instead a female figure representing life.
“It is not the Virgin Mary, who said it is the Virgin Mary?” Costa said Oct. 16 at a press conference for the Amazon synod, a meeting taking place in the Vatican Oct. 6-27 on the ministry of the Church in the region.
Costa referred to a controversial image of a female figure which was part of a tree-planting ceremony in the Vatican Oct. 4. The same figure has been present in the vicinity of the Vatican at various events happening during the synod, under the “Casa Comun” initiative.
The wooden figure of a pregnant woman has been described as both a Marian image and as a traditional indigenous religious symbol of the goddess Pachamama, or Mother Earth.
When told “many people have said” the woman is a figure of the Virgin Mary, Costa added “‘many have said,’ okay, as you like, but I have never heard that.”
“There is nothing to know. It is an indigenous woman who represents life,” he stated, adding that his information commission will look for more information about it, but “it is a feminine figure” and is “neither pagan nor sacred.”
Paolo Ruffini, prefect of the Vatican communications dicastery, said Wednesday he sees the figure as “representing life.”
“Fundamentally, it represents life. And enough. I believe to try and see pagan symbols or to see… evil, it is not,” he said, adding that “it represents life through a woman.” He equated the image to that of a tree, saying “a tree is a sacred symbol.”
Ruffini said that interpretation is his personal opinion, and he was not speaking as the head of Vatican communications or synod communications.
He added that “We know that some things in history have many interpretations” and he would look for more information about the image and inform journalists about what he finds out.
Cristiane Murray, vice director of the Holy See press office, added that more information about the wooden figure should be sought from REPAM or the organizers of the events where the image has been present.
Mauricio Lopez, REPAM’s executive secretary, told CNA after the press conference that he could not comment on the press conference, directing CNA to Costa’s remarks, as the “official spokesperson” of the Synod.
REPAM (the Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network), a group backed by the bishops’ conferences in Latin America, describes itself as an advocacy organization for the rights and dignity of indigenous people in the Amazon. The network is involved in operations for the synod assembly and is one of 14 groups on the organizing committee of the Casa Comun initiative, which is promoting more than 115 events hosted by a loose network of groups, connected in varying degrees to the Catholic Church.
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From Costa and Ruffini we read: “The wooden figure of a pregnant woman has been described as both a Marian image and as a traditional indigenous religious symbol of the goddess Pachamama, or Mother Earth.”
“Fundamentally, it represents life. And enough. I believe to try and see pagan symbols or to see… evil, it is not. . .it represents life through a woman.”
First, a HYBRID–like the pagan Zeus was a hybrid offspring from a pagan deity and a primordial human, and then life through a woman IN PLACE OF all-creation from–as the incarnate Jesus Christ words it–a “Father who art in heaven.”
“Evil, it is not,” we are reassured. TRANSLATION: Don’t turn on the lights just yet.
Wasn’t it pagan idolatry [spiritual adultery] that caused the Jews to be exiled to Babylon?
I’ll let my imagination run wild a bit and envision Pachamama worship by Pope Francis and Hierarchy inside St Peter’s in front of the main altar. Pachamama who breast feeds pigs and weasels. And heretics. The Abomination of Desolation consecrated? Just a hideous passing thought. Back to reality. Although I don’t believe the Pontiff and hierarchy friends are occultists their apparent sham is to push a Naturalist agenda. That everything arises from natural properties and causes, and supernatural or spiritual explanations are discounted. As said before this trial is permitted by God. And consequently there’s a purpose that apparently is the offer of two pathways one in obedience to Christ and salvation the other in obedience to purveyors of false doctrine.
Fr. Morello,
I think there might be another purpose for disobedience to God in the hierarchy.
I think God might be slowly strengthening the laity to function in the midst of a future world environment where Christianity is largely illegal.
Actually Steve the much larger majority of faithful outspoken Catholics are now Laity, which is to your point. My experience indicates clergy are largely silent more due to complacent lack of faith than fear of repercussion. If as trending due to lack of papal leadership, coherent doctrine – and that’s still an if – national hierarchies dissolve Laity will naturally assume prominence. Although I hope with some confidence there will be faithful bishops and cardinals even presbyters to which we can form a global diaspora type Church unified by one faith. Perhaps Benedict XVI had similar in mind when he envisioned a smaller remnant Church. Surely there will be a faithful remnant whatever transpires on this rocky road we’re treading.
Do a google/images search on pachamama. Some interesting photos and explanations come up.
YES, it is pagan and YES it was bowed down to in the Vatican…and that included a Franciscan in his habit. How stupid does the pope’s handlers think the laity is? This is 2019, where access to this information is easy and instantaneous.
My only question regarding all this nonsense is this: where are the MEN with enough testosterone to rid our chapel in the Vatican of these abominations? Where are the living saints who will stand up for the Church and throw out pagan idols from our churches?
Marge you deserve acknowledgment from a priest. There are men and women like yourself that I serve. There are unfortunately few priests where I’m at that see any issue and seem clueless. The missionaries I worked with in Africa and Africans themselves were more aware of events in the Church. The difficultly is a universal one. The appointment of bishops most of whom are concerned with position rather than conveying the Word of God. Exceptions of course Cardinal Sarah. I mentioned Pachamama idolatry though the Hierarchy are simply patronizing the indigenous more intent on the Pontiff’s agenda. A recent Rome poster showed a native woman holding her infant in one arm the other facilitating a weasel to feed from her breast likely a lampoon of the Pachamama nonsense. She likely has breast fed that weasel as a pup to keep him as a deterrent to rats a great problem in usually rat infested native villages. Rats who invade huts at night destroying food and attacking infants. She in her primitive condition trying to survive yet lampooned. These are the persons created in God’s image that we missionaries suffer to save from idolatry uplift to the image of Christ. Amazonia ideologues are more intent on patronizing the indigenous for sake of their false Christianity. This is the battle for truth within the Church and only the faithful brave will stand and for with Christ’s children.
Marge you’d likely be interested in an article, quite relevant addressing your point just posted by Edward Pentin in NCR. How an Amazon Pagan Rite Brought 48 Years of Demonic Torment, Until Christ Freed Me.