Every religion has one day in the liturgical year that is more important than the others. For many in the United States, it’s Christmas that matters. Easter is the primary ritual for the Eastern Orthodox. Here in the Española, it’s Good Friday.
For the first time in as long as anyone can remember, the Santa Fé diocese is not sponsoring the annual pilgrimage to Chimayó. Pope Francis has cancelled masses and issued a dispensation for those who don’t attend. He celebrates mass with only the other necessary assistants; no one else is allowed inside.
Some Protestant preachers in this country have refused to cancel their public services, despite their state governors issuing orders that limit the number of people who can assemble. Some, like Jerry Falwell, are motivated by politics as much as by religion. [1]
However, for some Pentecostals the need to meet flows from the Calvinist roots of the Anglo-Scots Reformation.
Calvin had argued not everyone was saved and God alone determined who was among the Elect. This led Michael Wigglesworth to write a poem in which he said infants who died before they had sinned would be given the easiest room in hell. [2]
This would make no sense to a Roman Catholic. If one was baptized, and followed other rules, one was guaranteed salvation. In the early years of the Santa Cruz colony, when priests were few and assigned to the pueblos, anyone could baptize an infant, so even those who died soon after birth were within the community of God.
Since Calvinists did not know if they were saved, they continually were looking for signs they were blessed. This part of the Reformation coincided with the early developments in science in England, and the two movement converged in their concern with questions of what constituted proof.
John Wesley rejected predestination, but not the rest of the Calvinist heritage. A man or woman could be saved, but they needed proof they were born again. The nature of the evidence has changed, but not the insecurity of not knowing.
The most extreme example are people who handle rattlesnakes. If they are not bitten, it’s through God’s grace. [3]
Pentecostals believe an individual is saved through contact with the Holy Spirit. For many, since the early twentieth century, that has meant speaking in tongues.
One pastor in Miami has been using attendance at his services as evidence of faith. Guillermo Maldonado tells his followers they must use "the power of God to demonstrate that God is active in the world." [4]
Following the scientific bent of this branch of Pentecostalism, he says "nothing happens by chance." Illness is caused by an evil spirit that must be discovered and cast out. [5]
This meant one cannot become ill by going to church, because that was the one place where no demonic spirit would enter. He asked, "Do you believe God would bring his people to his house to be contagious with the virus? Of course not." [6]
It becomes an act of faith, proof that one is saved, to attend services. Conversely, failure to attend is a sign of weak commitment to Christ.
I said that many aspects of the Anglo-Scots Reformation would make no sense to Roman Catholics. Maldonado would seem to disprove that contention. He was born in Hondurus, and most of the people who attend El Rey Jesús speak Spanish.
Beliefs in contact with the spirit world predate both Roman Catholicism and Pentecostalism. This more ancient attitude animates much of what Maldomado believes. It does not preclude an acceptance of the mundane world. On March 22, he suspended public gatherings. [7]
In the announcement on his website, Maldomaldo said he would continue to deliver his sermons on line, and was keeping his call center open so members still could request a prayer. [8]
Sources:
1. Jane Coaston. "Liberty University’s Choice to Stay Open During Coronavirus, Explained." Vox website. 25 March 2020. Falwell is a strong supporter of Donald Trump. At one time he argued Coronavirus was a media ploy to destroy Trump’s presidency.
2. Michael Wigglesworth. "Day of Doom." Cambridge, Massachusetts: Samuel Green and Marmaduke Johnson, 1662.
3. Wikipedia. "Snake Handling in Religion."
4. Wikipedia. "Guillermo Maldonado (Pastor)."
5. Guillermo Maldonado. "The Mystery of Praying in Tongues." King Jesus International website.
6. Bianca Padró Ocasio "‘Demonic spirit:’ Miami Pastor Rejects Coronavirus Warning." Miami Herald website. 15 March 2020.
7. William Bredderman and Will Sommer. "Trump’s Megachurch Allies Promise COVID-19 Snake Oil and ‘Miracles’." The Daily Beast website. 23 March 2020.
8. "News of the Coronavirus (COVID-19)." King Jesus International website.
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