20666: From Racine125: Baptisms and Immigration and Vodou (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Racine125@aol.com

Jepiem@aol.com wrote:

<<I understand that the Immigration office in Haiti requires a certificate of baptism in order to deliver a passport to any haitian citizen wishing to travel.>>

They require a birth certificate.

<< I have even been told that hougans  have also been delivering certificates of baptism. >>

No.  We don't perform Catholic baptism.  Our baptism happens at the end of the initiation ceremony, and people are adults, usually, when they receive that sacrament.

I suppose that baptismal certificates may be used to obtain a birth certificate, but the person still has to get some sort of "extrait des archives" that says the government has no other record of the person's birth (quite common even when the person was properly registered for a birth certificate, these musty old notebooks get thrown in corners and abused), and that the information is taken from a sworn statement or baptismal certificate or some such thing.

<<Since vodou has been officially recognized as a religion, is there a new ceremony of marriage in vodou in Haiti besides the marriage with a loa?>>

No, and it isn't really a pressing concern, since most relationships in rural Haiti are common-law and men often have more than one partner.  I am certainly not going to sanctify polygamous marriage for men only, it's part of the oppression of women in Haiti.  Neither is there any demand for a marriage among my initiates or associates at this time, and I am willing to bet that if they do want to get married, they prefer to get married Catholic, believe it or not!  That's just because it's more of an institutional, easily understood thing, they don't have to explain later on that they were married by a Houngan, etc.

<< Considering the change in direction in the country at this time, what will become of Aristide's edict that vodou was to be granted officialdom in Haiti?>>

Given the anti-Vodou stance of the US Republican Party, who knows?  I mean, obviously they can't stamp out Vodou, but they might not do much to further our interests, either.

Peace and love,

Bon Mambo Racine Sans Bout Sa Te La Daginen

"Se bon ki ra" - Good is rare
     Haitian Proverb

The VODOU Page - http://members.aol.com/racine125/index.html

The Vodou Emporium - http://www.rootswithoutend.com/emporium/emporium.html

(Posting from Jacmel, Haiti)