The church implicitly licenses mafia use of its sacred symbols

Evidence

Prominent mafiosi not only are allowed to sponsor processions in honor of a variety of saints but also are regularly married in and buried by the church. For some young men it is normal to hesitate between a career in the clergy and one in the mafia, since in small villages the two institutions appear to be plausible associative options. — Diego Gambetta, The Sicilian Mafia The Business of…, 130 (#responds-to, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Mafia sponsorship of saints functions as advertising for its protection firm; Church and mafia function as parallel associational career options in villages — Diego Gambetta, The Sicilian Mafia The Business of…, 130; The Church’s moral language structured who counted as monstrous others

Related

• Church and mafia function as parallel associational career options in villages (similarity 0.91)
• Mafia sponsorship of saints functions as advertising for its protection firm (similarity 0.79)
• Scholars apply double standards in dismissing mafia ritual while accepting analogous ones. (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• Church and mafia function as parallel associational career options in villages #responds-to (0.75) — Diego Gambetta, The Sicilian Mafia The Business of…, 130
• The Church’s moral language structured who counted as monstrous others #complicates (0.70)