In folk Catholicism, this Mary is also Saint Mary Magdalene, of whom both the Bible and legends apart from Scripture tell more.

He is one of the seven archangels in Eastern Orthodox tradition, and in traditional folk Catholicism.

This folk Catholicism, he says, "is handed down from father to son and mother to daughter and creates a sense of community and a touchstone for tradition."

"Voodoo shouldn't be be looked upon as some variant of a charming folk Catholicism," said Mr. Cosentino, the curator.

Drawn to the figure of Jesus and the folk Catholicism of the poor, she nonetheless refused to accept baptism.

The Santero culture in the Philippines is widely prevalent among Filipino Catholics, having been influenced by colonial Spain and various forms of folk Catholicism.

The Catechism expresses skepticism towards widespread practices of folk Catholicism without outlawing them explicitly:

Furthermore, folk Catholicism, particularly in rural areas, was spontaneous and independent of the official church.

Nonetheless, given the nature of Spanish folk Catholicism, it was impossible to exclude the devotion to the saints from indigenous Christianity.

Most Sierra Indians, for example, followed a type of folk Catholicism in which doctrinal orthodoxy played only a small part.