Healing the Christian-Pagan divide

By J.F. Mezo

NEW YORK, Sept. 26 – It’s just before 11 a.m. and the annual NY Pagan Pride Harvest Festival has kicked off with an opening circle to celebrate the Autumn Equinox in Washington Square Park. The din of shamanic drums and the rows of vendors offering from jewellery and cauldrons to herbs and incense are a marked contrast to the event that dominated the week here – the visit of Pope Francis, who  just two days ago the Pope held a public mass just 25 blocks north in Madison Square Garden.

The opening ritual of the Pagan Pride Day is a world away from the Church. The first key speaker, Jeff Mach, asks for the crowd’s attention, drawing their eyes to the main stage and the historic Judson Memorial Church behind it. For Pagans, a lot rides on the notion of peaceful coexistence, acceptance and an open-minded approach to different religious beliefs; it’s not just their public image, they explain, but the fact that many of them come from Roman Catholic families that do not take well to their personal convictions.

“People still stare,” says the Tribal Coordinator of the Queens Branch of the Spiral Scouts, who goes by her Pagan name, Gem.. “There are many misconceptions, even within our families.”

When asked about said misconceptions, Pagans have a lot to say. “My students think Wicca [a modern branch of Paganism] equals Paganism and that Pagans are flaky, out of touch, unable to deal with 21^st century life and basically half-crazy” says Chip O’Brien, a high school teacher representing Hekate’s Sacred Temple at the Pagan Pride Day. His  experiences at the Catholic high school he attended left him perplexed by the Church’s unwillingness to adapt and its anachronistic, frozen-in-time approach motivated his search for a different path. He expresses admiration that Pope Francis seems to be bridging the divide between the religious and secular worlds that only seemed to be growing during the reign of his predecessors in the Vatican. 

Some Pagans believe that it will take more than one pope to bring about an era of peaceful coexistence between the Church and the multitude of Pagan religions (Druidism, Wicca, and Ásatrú, just to mention a few). But there is one thing they all appear to agree on: Pope Francis is making a difference.

The Pope has demonstrated never-before-seen willingness to get involved in worldly matters, as he was the first Pope to address the US Congress on Sept. 24 and he has also been very vocal about matters, such as the refugee crisis, the excesses of capitalism or climate change. This, Pagans believe, might eventually help bridge the divide between them and the Catholic Church as protecting and preserving the environment has always been a top priority for many – if not all – branches of Paganism.

“Have you seen the renewable energy booth yet?” says Christabel, a volunteer at the Pagan Pride Day Info tent who gestures towards a small table covered in bright yellow brochures that read “Global Warming/Climate Change Is Here”. The sponsoring organisation, United for Action, has little to do with religion, be it Pagan or Christian, but it wouldn’t be out of place at a  Catholic event these days either – a demonstration of the effect Pope Francis' message is having on previously alienated  communities.

By bridging the divide between the Church and the State by addressing the Congress and in pushing the Church to adapt to the 21^st century when offering forgiveness for the “sin of abortion” during the upcoming Year of Mercy, Pope Francis has already opened many doors. By forcefully engaging the debate on climate change, he may unlock another; one that has been firmly locked since the rise of Catholicism.

“It is great that the Pope promotes some of the same ideas that we have” says Christabel, who comes from a Catholic background. She says she was initially hesitant to join the Pagan community but has been amazed by the openness, acceptance and diversity she encountered within the ranks of this often misunderstood circle. “But the past is still there – we have to let it go.”

And letting go has never seemed easier than now, when Pagan groups can celebrate the Autumn Equinox in public in the wake of the visit of the Pope. In this new era of opening doors, Pagans and Christians are often passionate about the same issues and family members frequently find themselves backing the same causes even though one of them prays to the Lord and the other to Bastet.

“The goal” says Jeff Mach “is to coexist in peace, do good and work together.” And seeing that this year’s Pagan Pride Day book drive collected enough money for the charity City Harvest to feed 1600 people in need, there is hope among the faithful that this is no longer a fantasy.