The apparitions of the Virgin. The phenomenon of the apparitions of the Virgin in Salta: pilgrimage, healing and the mission to unite the East with the West

Abstract

The Marian’s apparitions in Salta, as thousands of modern apparitions in different places, are gaining importance by combining a variety of practices: pilgrims, devotion and healing. They conform a religious field of increasing relevance in Latin America. In this article we present the apparition in Salta in terms of the logics, actors´ motivations, and the tensions and conflicts it affords. We discuss analytical perspectives that can help to understand the complexity and diversity of meaning and actions that structure the phenomenon. From this framework we raise questions and address them highlighting the issues that mark continuities with the historical apparitions´ matrix. We also identify specific issues from this particular apparition: the strong visionary’s protagonism, the interception prayer, the organization’s role, and its particular evangelization mission.