Mark Cruz
2B
5/20/2002
The Shepherd and his Flock: The Role of Catholicism on Hispanic Society

	Throughout the vast expanse of time, religion in one form or another has played a dominant role in many cultures and societies throughout the world. From beliefs such as Buddism and Catholicism, religion plays an integral role in the lives of countless multitudes of people, even today. One example of the influence religion has upon the world can be found in the Catholic faith. With millions of members worldwide, the Catholic church is one of the largest religious faiths in the world. The influence of Catholicism upon members of the Catholic faith in society is no doubt present. This is especially true with members of Hispanic society, where Catholicism is undoubtedly the dominant religion. Thus, it is not surprising to note that Catholicism has played a major role in shaping much of Hispanic culture, in art, music and most certainly, literature. The influence of the Catholic faith upon literature is evidenced in works such as Gabrielle Garcia Marquez’s Chronicle of a Death Foretold as well as Isabelle Allende’s critically acclaimed novel, The House of the Spirits. Both novels have authors who are of Hispanic origin, and thus, it comes as no surprise that Catholicism plays a major role in both works of literature. In both Garbielle Garcia Marquez’s Chronicle of a Death Foretold and Issabelle Allende’s The House of the Spriits, Catholicism plays a major role not only in the lives of the characters, but also in the overall theme of the novels.
	The influence of Catholicism is most evident in Marquez’s award winning Chronicle of a Death Foretold. One pertinent example of the role of Catholicism in society is found during the Bishop’s annual visit to the town. In the novel, the visit of one man is an event in itself. The presence of the Bishop warrants almost a celebration of sorts, one in which all members of the town gather by the shore wearing their best formal attire, despite the hot weather conditions, in hopes of merely catching a glimpse of the holy man. “There were a lot of people at the dock in addition to the authorities and the crates of well-fattened roosters they were bearing as agift for the bishop, becaus cocks-comb soup was his favorite dish. At the pief there was so much firewood piled up that it would have taken at tleast two hours to load” (Marquez 17-18). Such behavior is indicative of the structure of the Catholic church itself. The Catholic church places moral and religious authority among figures such as priests, bishops, arch-bishops and finally the Pope. This is why the townspeople’s seemingly extravagant behavior does not come as a surprise to anyone. Furthermore, the influence of Catholicism is evident in the names of the characters. “Santiago” translates into Saint John, which is indicative of the fact that Santiago Nasar is not guilty of the crimes with which he is charged. “Angela” literally means Angel in Spanish, which under normal circumstances would be a symbol of purity; however, in this case the name is in sharp contrast with the character of the person who possesses it. The fact that Angela Vicario’s behavior is anything but angelic shows Marquez’s brilliant implementation of irony as well as the fact that Angela’s purity is merely a facade. “Pedro” and “Pablo” translate into Peter an Paul, one of whom was the apostle who i said to have betrayed Jesus. The significance of these names lies in the simple fact that  Santiago Nasar becomes almost a Christ-like figure who dies for the sins of others, despite his own innocence.
	It is this selfsame religion that plays a major role in Isabelle Allende’s The House of the Spirits. The influence of Catholicism upon Hispanic culture is evident in the initial chapter of the book  In this chapter, it becomes evident that the Del Valle family is an atheist family. They go to church, however, merely to build a facade of piety in order to not be viewed as outcasts by s of the heavily Catholic society. “Severo del Valle was an atheist adn a Mason, be he had political ambitions and oculd not allow himself the luxury of misisng the most heavily attended mass on Sundays and feast days, when everyone would have a chance to see him. His wife, Nivea, preferred to deal with God without benefit of intermeidaries” (Allende 3). Moreover, the authority of the priest is evident in the novel as well. “No one had ever dared to disobey him. The priest was blessed with a long, incriminating finger,which he used to point out sinners in public, and a tongue well schooled in arousing emotions” (Allende 2). The fiery priest wields an almost divine control over his congregation from his pulpit, essentially accusing them of crimes which they, for the most part, do not commit. The priest ultimately accuses Clara of being a devil possessed child, a claim which most members of the congregation take seriously. “Possessed...She’s possessed by the devil! These words of Father Restrepo were etched in the familoy memory with all the gravity of a diagnosis, adn in the years to come they had more than one occasion to recall them. The only one who never thought of them was Clara herself” (Marquez 7). The light in which the Catholic church is placed in Allende’s The House of the Spirits is indicative of her view of the Catholic church. In the novel, the church and organized religion is portrayed in an almost evil manner. Through close analysis of the novel, it becomes evident that more emphasis is placed on spirituality and magic realism.

	In both novels, the influence of catholicism is evident in the behavior  and mannerisms of the characters that are portrayed. Both novles demonstrate the influence of Catholicism on  on members of Hispanic socieyt as well. Both authors appear to have a slightly negative view on the influence of Catholicism. In Chronicle of a Death Foretold,  Marquez writes of a bishop who merely passes by his flock on a boat. In THe House of the Spriits, Allende portrays the priest of the congregation as a sort of bully who uses his divine authority to manipulate people. Wheter negative or positive, it is evident that Catholicism has and continues to play a major role in the lives of most Hispanics thorughout the world. Such influence is evident not only in the large percent of  Catholic Hispanics, but also in the literary works of hispanics such as Allende and Marquez.