Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church issued the following announcement on Aug. 23

A few weeks ago, I preached on the current issue of whether or not the Church is “racist” for having all of these “white” depictions of Mary and Jesus. In that homily, I pointed out that there are literally hundreds of other examples of Mary and Jesus depicted as non-white. One such example is perhaps the single most famous image of Mary in history: Our Lady of Guadalupe. One of the reasons why this image is so famous is that it draws on Native Central American cultural imagery to communicate truths about Mary and Jesus. Let’s look at some of these.

First, the Lady is standing upon the moon. Again, the symbolism is that of the woman of Rev. 12:1 who has the "moon under her feet". The moon for the Meso-Americans was the god of the night. By standing on the moon, she shows that she is more powerful than the god of darkness. However, in Christian iconography the crescent moon under the Madonna’s feet is usually a symbol of her perpetual virginity, and sometimes it can refer to her Immaculate Conception or Assumption.

Next, the aureole or luminous light surrounding the Lady is reminiscent of the "woman clothed with the sun" of Rev. 12:1. The light is also a sign of the power of God who has sanctified and blessed the one who appears. The rays of the sun would also be recognized by the native people as a symbol of their highest god, Huitzilopochtli. Thus, the lady comes forth hiding but not extinguishing the power of the sun. She is now going to announce the God who is greater than their sun god.

For brevity’s sake, I will conclude with arguably the most significant element of the apparition. Our Lady appears brown skinned and clothed with typical clothing for an Aztec woman. More specifically she is a mestizo, a combination of Mexican and Spanish, indicating that she is for all people. Her eyes are cast downwards, indicating to them that she was not a god and symbolizing humility. She is, in effect, saying, “I am one of you and one with you.” The significance should not be lost here: in every apparition of Mary and/or Jesus, they have appeared in the likeness of those they are appearing to. For God, skin color and nationality mean nothing; all that matters is that we enter into His covenant and walk in His ways.

Original source can be found here.