Abstract

Haiti is an officially Roman Catholic country, and the popular religion of Vodou incorporates many Catholic elements. Why then, is Jesus Christ relatively deemphasized in both traditions, while Mary and the countless saints and spirits have a greater presence in the religious lives of most Haitians? This article delves into the Roman Catholic and Kongolese Catholic history of Haiti to explore why Jesus Christ is a relatively remote figure and why he is represented as white in a Black-majority country.

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