The country of Haiti has two main religions: Roman Catholicism and Voodoo. Roman Catholicism is the official religion of Haiti while Voodoo is the more underground religion. “Roman Catholicism of Haiti is typically Haitian in its institutional forms, its colorful and formal rituals, and its strict doctrinal emphases; it represents an extensive effort on the part of the clergy to respond to the religious, social, and cultural needs of Haitians. Concurrently, Voodoo is the folk religion on Haiti that pervades the framework of Haitian culture.”[1] While it seems the religions should compete, they actually manage to work harmoniously together in this country.
Roman Catholicism was first introduced to Haiti by Columbus. It continues to be the religion of the elites and officials of the island. As such, it is also financially supported by the government. Catholicism is a very ritual based religion, and worshippers know what to expect at each service. Priests serve as intermediaries between humans and God. It is a very spiritual religion and depends on the faith of the follower instead of hard reality.
When people think of voodoo, the image conjured up in the minds of most people outside of the religion is of crude dolls with pins in them, and old women priestesses bent over cauldrons throwing in herbs and unidentifiable animal parts to brew up potions. Voodoo is thought to be a very dark mystical religion. It is mainly the religion of the lower classes which helps support the misconceptions.
Voodoo came to the island from the African country the Kongo by slaves imported by the European plantation owners. It is not a strict religion like Catholicism. The practice of Voodoo differs in each location. It is also a very individualistic religion. While there are Voodoo priests, they serve as teachers and leaders and not intermediaries between humans and the gods. Each person communicates directly with the Iwa, the Voodoo gods. Worshippers want to be possessed by an Iwa by having the Iwa “mount” them and control their actions. By having a possession, it shows the worshipers commitment to Voodoo and raises their religious authority in the community.
Put side by side, it seems that these two religions are entirely incompatible. How could a highly idealized, elite religion ever be harmonious with a mystical, peasant cult? As contradictory as it would seem, some Haitians practice both Catholicism and Voodoo. In their lives, Catholicism serves as an overarching theology and Voodoo acts as an everyday practical religion. This is often the result of a government push against the practice of Voodoo.
The government of Haiti and the Catholic priests do not approve of the practice of Voodoo. They have often scourged Haiti hunting down and destroying Voodoo paraphernalia and imprisoning followers of the religion. This threat has forced Voodoo and its followers underground. Voodoo temples are often undistinguishable from other buildings and do not look like other houses of worship. Followers of the religion do not usually disclose the fact that they practice Voodoo to the public at large.
In spite of the contradictions and the government, both religions are still an integral part of life in Haiti.
Sources
Desmangles, Leslie. The Faces of the Gods Vodou and Roman Catholicism in Haiti. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1992.
Dayan, Hoan. Haiti, History, and the Gods. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1995.
Pictures courtesy of: http://blackwasp19.wordpress.com/2010/03/10/princess-and-the-frog-voodoo-evil/ and http://climbthepeak.net/index.php?p=1_22_Holy.
[1] Desmangles, Leslie. The Faces of the Gods Vodou and Roman Catholicism in Haiti. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1992, 1.
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