The sense of personal religiousness ...

I have always been drawn to the atmosphere of silence reigning inside churches from an early age ... though at the time, there seemed to be more to it than just the religious silence ... I was strongly attracted to the naïve looking angels observing every move I made ... from every angle of the heavily covered walls with paintings depicting scenes of heaven and hell and various sculpted versions of Christ,  the Virgin Mary, the Apostles and Saints in all shapes and forms ... the strong mixed scent of fresh flowers, burnt candles and incense ... the almost inaudible prayers of the reclined old ladies kneeling down ... in virtually any corner of every church ...

Whilst travelling through Guatemala and Mexico I witnessed the fact that the act of walking into a church is not much diffferent than going to a friend's ... silence is not what is expected of you when visiting the ones you care for ... or those you want to talk to ...

The whole solemn attitude which caracterizes us, religion worshippers in Portugal particularly in celebration dates, turns into a joyful party around there ... with colourful baloons hanging in and out of the church walls ... gaiety filling the air ...  (Inside a church in Almolonga, Guatemala) ...


 ... and if the situation requires seriousness of expression, it can even assume the craving for the "under the wings" protection type of approach you'd look for in a father or an older and wiser brother ...

(Demonstrators  fighting against government resolutions camped outside the church of San Cristobal de las Casas in Mexico)

The expression of religiousness is in fact vey personal and has to be looked at as such and not be misunderstood as it often is.