NOVENAS Y RELIGIOSIDAD POPULAR EN LA INDEPENDENCIA DE COLOMBIA

In a non-secular society like that of Colombia during the colonial period of the 18th-century, there was no distinction between religion and politics. This can be evidenced in the analysis of the symbols, rites, and popular religiosity of the time, in this specific case: novenas and sermons. Thus, the article studies the works of chroniclers, novenas, sermons, and political catechisms of the time. Such analysis reveals that both centralists and federalists, patriots and royalists tried to use religious means to ask for divine intervention in the conflict, and to teach and legitimate their political views. Particularly, there are novenas, sermons, and catechisms with both patriot and royalist orientation. It was God who had to respond to the pleas and justify the philosophy of both positions. It is concluded that the political use of religious symbols has a significant influence in the people.