Article
Digital Version
Portalone Gentile, Gabriella

Chiesa e mafia

2013 - Editoriale Scientifica

112-150 p.

  • The paper analyzes the relationship between the Sicilian Church and Cosa Nostra. Until a few years ago, the relationships have been characterized not only in the wake of a peaceful mutual tolerance, but also, in some cases, in the resigned acceptance of Mafia by the Church. Often the existance of Mafia was deliberately ignored by the ecclesiastical authorities. Mafia was seen as one of many forms of organized crime present in many countries of the world. Sometimes it was justified as necessary to defend the interests and peculiarities of the Sicilian people against a State considered as a predator. In the context of Sicilianism more sinister at times, it was considered necessary to deny the existence of Mafia to prevent the good name of Sicily. In this regard, particular attention has been paid to the work of Cardinal Ernesto Ruffini, Archbishop of Palermo for twenty years, after the second World War.
  • Some of his careless statements, made truthfully, have been exploited by a certain press and anti-clerical and Marxist historiography, to make him go down in history as the cardinal who denied the existence of Cosa Nostra. So they denied the great works that the illustrious prelate realized in Palermo to lay the foundations of a society open to the needs of the marginalized people and able to remove the youth from the allurements of Cosa Nostra. [Publisher's text].

Is part of

Storia e politica : rivista quadrimestrale : V, 1, 2013