From: Thomas Izaguirre Area: Mundane To: All 8 Jun 96 21:06:08 Subject: Anti-Christ Hysteria in Colombia UpdReq * Original Area: CULTINFO * Original To : All (93:9806/0) From NEW YORK TIMES International Section for June 6, 1996 (A4, Col. 1): BOGOTA JOURNAL Colombians Flee the Clutches of the Antichrist by Diana Jean Schemo BOGOTA, Colombia, June 5 -- The Church of the 20th of July is normally a haven where the faithful gather beneath soaring arches to ponder God and pray. But this week the church echoes with the wails of babies and the exhortations of an exasperated priest as parents rush to baptize their children before Thursday. That is the day, a pamphlet warned Bogotanos last week, that the Antichrist will claim their unbaptized children. Although the dire predictions were made by a Protestant fundamentalist group, many parents in this predominantly Roman Cathoic country panicked, and thousands have tushed to baptize their children over the last week. The emergency baptisms were reported on televisio news over the weekend, in accounts sprinkled with scenes from horror films including "The Omen," and "Rosemary's Baby." An afternoon news program followed the report on the baptisms with another on children being kidnapped for organ trafficking -- a Latin AMerican sacer story that has been investigated and discredited by the United Nations. The hysteria grew. "They showed the Anti-Christ on television," said Sonia Maldonado, 24, who stood in the church in tears. Mrs. Maldonado, the mother of 6-year-old twins, said she and her sons had panicked upon seeing the television news. She is four months pregnant. "I'm afraid the Antichrist will mark my children or take them away," she said, and looked down at her abdomen. "Maybe something will happen to my baby on June 6. I'm afraid it will be the Antichrist." The rumor, said the Rev. Carlos Mario Alcate, director of the Catholic Church's department of doctrine, appeared to have started with a Protestant fundamentalist sect that predicts that the second millenium will bring a final, terrible showdown between good and evil, as predicted in the t book of the New Testament. The rumor has taken several forms. In one, the Antichrist's birth is expected on Thursday, a prediction that has terrified pregnant women due to give birth this week. In another, an evil being will possess children unprotected by baptism and mark them with a sign on Thursday. ANd in yet another rumor, the Antichrist will steal children from their parents. "It's very dangerous because it spreads fear among people and reflects the absence of a sense of maturity," Father Alcate said, "It denies the individual responsibility for his own actions, for his role on earth." But Father Alcate also said the panic coincided with a moral compass that appears to have gone haywire, as a discredited Congress prepares to declare that drug dealers did not bankroll President Ernesto Samper's election -- contrary to what a majority of the people surveyed believe. In the countryside, violence and lawless ness leave people frightened and unsure of who among the guerillas, paramilitary groups and the army is in league with whom. "Moral principles are in eclipse," Father Alcate said. "The Catholic Church has lost its presence in many areas, and so people are looking for stronger religious influences." In the Church of the 20th of July, named for Colombia's independence day, the priest, the Rev. Jose Antonio Sarmiento, tried to reassure the throngs who came with children, along with candles, mineral water, icons and images of Jesus to be blessed. "Your children are not guilty of anything," the priest told them. "Don't believe the rumors." As he approached, people in the crowd held up their infants and their relics. The priest performed a group blessing, marching slowly toward the back of the church as if pushing back a wave. But he did not plan any baptisms, and appeared determined not to cede to the terror and superstition of people, many of whom has come from throughout the city. "It's not through a blessing of water that you'll be saved, but through faith," he called to the people. The church has been telling people that baptism is not a quick and easy protection, but a sign of commitment that follows spiritual preparation. "When will there be baptisms?" Father Sarmiento said on Monday, "Not today or tomorrow, but when the priest is ready." Rosana Orena, 48, had gone to three churches in search of one that would agree to baptize her only child, 2-year-old Rafael. After learning that the Church of the 20th of July would not baptize her son by Thursday either, she was stricken with remorse over not having baptized him sooner. In the plaza before the church, shops sell all manner of relics and herbs for healing, and she thought that surely, here, she could find someone who would baptize Rafael sometime before Thursday. "If the priests are not baptizing the children, it must be because there's no truth to it," Mrs. Orena said. But still she wept, and still she feared. "I'll buy some water water and have the priest bless it, and I'll sprinkle the room where we sleep with holy water." Richard Gamboa, 19, has been attending the Church of the 20th of July for six years, and now teaches catechism. He said that on a normal day, a total of 200 people may attend the church between the first Eucharist at 7 A.M. and the last at 7 P.M. This week the church, which holds about 1,000 people, was packed throughout the day. In the sudden rush to baptism, Mr. Gamboa saw a reminder of the superstition that mixes with modern Christianity here. "It generates spiritual chaos in a person," he said. "Just look around. This is madness." 201434369420143436942014343694201434369420143436942014343694718