by Antonio Napoli

In Southern Italy, popular piety requires purification not only to become a more mature and authentic act of faith but also to be safeguarded from mafia infiltration. Since these expressions of faith bear the hopes of the Christian people — especially the poor — they must not be contaminated by criminal organizations seeking to exploit them.

The symbolic, strategic, and relational ties between mafia and popular piety must be fully exposed, without losing sight of the profound humanity and prophetic dimension inherent in grassroots religiosity.

This case study, though extreme, serves as a warning against the potential negative drifts of syncretism. While the blending of disparate beliefs is one of the most vital aspects of African religious traditions, it can take on sinister forms in other contexts.

When syncretism becomes a tool for legitimizing violence, religious traditions are manipulated to justify immoral and illegal behavior. What might appear as a cultural fusion becomes, in reality, a cynical exploitation of faith to consolidate power and social control.

To prevent such degenerations, it is essential to promote an authentic, critical, and socially engaged religiosity — one that resists manipulation and restores the sacred to its true purpose: the liberation and dignity of every human being.