Believers of the "Santisima Muerte"

[Curious]

What or Who exactly is this "thing"? While visiting some relatives in the area, I noticed several vehicles displaying a "such" picture with the words "Santa Muerte" and "Santisima Muerte", I've done some research on this "thing" and some say and believe that this "thing" is intended to recieve money, luck, and love. I do know for a fact that some of these individuals displaying this such message have NO MONEY, ARE NOT VERY LOVABLE, and DON'T SEEM TO BE VERY LUCKY, so my curiousity still stands. Interested in acquiring such information.

[lala]

Only drug dealers and smugglers beleive in it. They're stupid enough to beleive that it will help them get their dope or whatever it is they doing wrong to it's final destination!!!! Stupid people beleving in stupid stuff!!!

[jester]

too bad la "santisima" muerte isn't gonna keep their a$$es out of jail when they get caught.haha and Curious I agree with you. These people that are displaying it on their vehicles ain't got nothing to show for their dedication to that stupid "thing". Stupid people believing in stupid things. to this day they have no life, no money, no luck, no love, y no tiene verguenze. Pinche gente coriente!

[reallity check]

Mexican authorities have linked the worship of Santa Muerte to prostitution, drug trafficking, kidnapping, smuggling and homicides.Criminals, among her most fervent believers, are likely to pray to her for successful conclusion of a job as well as escaping from the police or jail. In the north of Mexico, she is venerated along with Jesús Malverde, the so called “Saint of Drug Traffickers.” Altars with images of Santa Muerte have been found in many drug houses in both Mexico and the United States. Among two of Santa Muerte’s more famous devotees are kidnapper Daniel Arizmendi López, known as El Mochaorejas, and Gilberto García Mena, one of the bosses of the Gulf Cartel. She is considered to be the “Virgin of the Incarcerated.” Many of those who enter prison in Mexico without believing in her, come to do so after a number of months. Many cells have images of Santa Muerte in different forms.Conversely, however, both police and military in Mexico can be counted among the faithful who ask for blessings on their weapons and ammunition.

As noted above, the cult's roughly two million adherents are mostly in Mexico State, Guerrero, Veracruz, Tamaulipas, Campeche, Morelos and Mexico City, with a recent spread to Nuevo León and Chihuahua. However, Santa Muerte can be found throughout Mexico and now in parts of the United States
As of 2009, devotion to Santa Muerte has been on the rise in the United States for the past ten years or so, mostly following the millions of Mexicans who have immigrated to the country. Evidence of devotion to her can be seen anywhere there is a large Mexican community, such as New York City, Houston, Tucson and Los Angeles.There are fifteen officially registered religious groups dedicated to her in Los Angeles alone,which includes the Temple of Santa Muerte.Many are true believers, but a number identify with the image for cultural heritage reasons. For this reason, young people, housewives and grandmothers now purchase the icon and speak publicly about their faith.[3] As in Mexico, the Catholic Church in the United States is trying to combat the worship of the deity, especially in Chicago. But compared to the Catholic Church in Mexico, the reaction in the U.S. is mostly either non-existent or muted. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has not issued an official position on this relatively new phenomenon in the country