The concept of the mechanism of recontextualization holds that after an idea is introduced, it experiences a period of dialogue, although at a seemingly unconscious level, where the community discerns its adoption or rejection. This dialogue is constantly developing and can be observed in all the components of culture: at its material, social, and ideological cognitive levels. In the case of Becky and her Friends (1990), this mechanism is observed in the ongoing debate that surrounds the legitimacy of Becky’s decision of leaving and divorcing Ira Escobar. Her actions split the views and perspective of the members of the community which often times look at the teaching of the Catholic Church as a source of inspiration or as the scapegoat in relation to the current scandal. Viola Barragán, for instance, argues that the Church can be flexible when it suits it while criticizing the hypocritical nature of the institution from which she is a contributor. She says “Does it take my money for donations here and there? Bet on it. It takes it, and I get my thanks, day and night, in rain or shine. And if the Church needs excuses to do so, all it’s got to do is to look it up in some Bible or other, in some dogma, tenet” (33). This idea of participating while disagreeing is not uncommon in the interviews obtained by the Listener. Ursula Otregón, the sister of the bishop and Becky’s godmother, tells Hinojosa’s participant observer for instance:
I attend Mass, still go to confession, and I’m a communicant, but it’s become a pastime now. Oh, I donate money, of course. I wouldn’t look good for that silly goose brother of mine if I didn’t give to charity. He’s the bishop, after all, and that should give you a fine idea of what the
Roman Apostolic has come down to. So, I believe in Mary, in her Son, and in God; nothing easier. I just don’t believe in the Church. (69) Meaning, she is a practicing Catholic who has become disenchanted by the institution and is content with keeping the appearances. Her views on divorce at the same time are peculiar as she agrees with the idea of avoiding such a situation. This perspective does not originate from an agreement with the teachings of the Church but rather from personal opinions or beliefs. She also does understand the reasons why Becky left Ira though she is clearly conflicted by the situation. After all, as the character of Julia Otregón explains in her account of the beginning of the relationship, both Ira and Becky shared a Traditional Roman Catholic upbringing. Both of them attended Catholic schools and Ira even finished his education at a Catholic university. That’s not to say that they were fully practicing members of the community, or that people of the Rio Grande Valley understand the theology that is behind Catholic devotions or practices. However, it does bring into question the original validity of their marriage under Catholic teaching. After all, the official discourse of the Catholic Church is that the consent to enter in to a marriage must be free of coercion or external fear in order to be valid. Meaning that Lucas Barrón’s argument in support of Jehú may be in line with the teaching of the Church when he says “sure she married, she was almost forced to” (97). In other words, he may be more Catholic than those who consider themselves to be in line with the Catholic Church.
This complex balance between tradition, practice, and the views on the church come to a climax with the intervention of Gualberto Ornelas, O.M.I. He is an Oblate of
Mary Immaculate from the Rio Grande Valley and is revealed to be the third Mexican Valley priest known by the listener. This particular testimony is very relevant for the ethnographic reading of Rolando Hinojosa’s narrative as it provides an emic viewpoint and interpretation to Catholic theology in the border. This is because the Mexican priest can be considered an insider to both the religious clergy and the Rio Grande Valley community. Moreover, the priest’s testimony is interpreted by the Listener who is also an insider. As a result, the ethnographer is able to judge the status of his culture and the religion with the authority that his condition as a member of the community gives him every time he engages with the story. He states that: “the Listener thinks this is a sorry record, given the number of Mexican Catholics in Belken County. The Listener,
however, sets down facts; some Valley Mexicans find this a disturbing, disgraceful fact” (114). In other words, Hinojosa’s anthropologist reveals how the community values having a native born priest in their midst while acknowledging a certain duality that evident in the track record of the clergyman. Tensions embodied in the priest who is both an insider to the culture become the focal point of the narrative as he is shown to sympathize with the reality of the Rio Grande Valley while he also serves as a source of authority with regards to Catholic theology. This duality becomes even more important when considering that Fr. Ornelas, the oblate, agrees with the views of the church on divorce but disagrees with the perspective of Fr. Eloy, who is an older priest that “sees divorce as a passport to Hell” (114). This disagreement, found in his testimony, needs to be examined as it provides an in depth explanation of the position of the clergy on divorce while it gives insight into the repercussions it’s had within the community of the
faithful. The analysis of the prelate’s reaction also provides a connection to the historical and cultural context of the region explored in the first chapter of this dissertation given Fr. Ornelas’s membership to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Such an inclusion may imply as well that the work of the religious order has remained a constant in the Rio Grande Valley contemporary history.152
4.10 The Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Belken County and a Heterogeneous