Are Sicilians religious?

In public opinion I live in a very religious area, a catholic area. But in real life, are sicilians religious? My immediate reaction is No! By heart no, but by presence yes. This meaning that most people here are very much involved with church activities by masses, choir singing, sports, christmas activities like Presepe Vivente (living Joseph, Maria and bady Jesus in stable), spreading palm leaves for Easter and so on. Church is also a meeting point for many house wives and if you get married most people still chooses church wedding by tradition, even if civil marriages are increasing. Children are baptized because it is still something you do. Catholism is teached at school and in every public office, post, police, municipalities, hospitals ecc, you find a cross. People even have pictures of saints in their car to protect them in traffic, Padre Pio, but then you see children jump in the car, using no seat belts, in 140 km/hour. You find statues of Holy Mary in many house corners and walls and every city celebrates its own saint.

By heart sicilians are not in general religious. Most do not follow Jesus foot steps and cities like Catania is rated as a city where most people cheat on their partner…in whole Italy. I have in ten years met one true catholic who was also a priest. He had the respect for atheists and was very frank on church traditions admitting that many of them are just traditions and nothing to do with christianity. But he lived as much as he could following Jesus foot steps. He seemed to have peace in his heart and was an amazing person. By personal experience I have met people who uses religion when it suits them, in my case often to shame me. Women who shame me not being married and having kids (often the older generation) or when religious days come and most end in euphoria they often ask How I can cope with life not being part of these traditions, it must be lonely? Some even shaming me having my family far away.

There are som religious expressions used in life happenings like Santo Cielo! = Oh My God! that with direct translation would be Holy Sky!, or Porca Eva! / Porco Guida! = God Damn! that with direct translation is Shitty Eva! / Shitty Judas!, meaning when something is really bad and by Bible stories we learn that Eva deceived Adam and Judas deceived Jesus.

Just because Sicily is known to be a religious area does not mean you find more morality here or honesty. I would say it is the opposite. Sicily still has very much Omerta and things You Do Not Talk About. Cheating, lying, frauds, violence is a much present here as anywhere else. Religion seems to be for many a gate-way to have in reserve if…. Things are though changing fast in Italy as the church complains that they have fever priests and churches are empty (article 28 Marzo 2017, in italian) . Most people around me whispers they are atheists or fascinated bu buddism, but go to church the most important days to please their mother or for the beautiful traditions. Generation gap.

Svenska

I den allm?nna opinionen bor jag i ett mycket religi?st omr?de, ett katolskt omr?de. Men i verkligheten ?r sicilianare religi?sa? Min omedelbara reaktion ?r Nej! Av hj?rtat nej, men genom n?rvaro ja. Det inneb?r att de flesta m?nniskor h?r ?r mycket engagerade i kyrkans aktiviteter med m?ssor, k?rs?ng, sport, julaktiviteter som Presepe Vivente (levande Josef, Maria och Baby Jesus i stall), sprida palmblad till p?sk och s? vidare. Kyrkan ?r ocks? en m?tesplats f?r m?nga hemmafruar och om du gifter dig v?ljer de flesta fortfarande kyrkbr?llop enligt tradition, ?ven om de civila ?ktenskapen ?kar. Barn d?ps f?r att det fortfarande ?r n?got du g?r. Katolismen l?rs i skolan och i alla offentliga lokaler, post, polis, kommuner, sjukhus ecc hittar du ett kors. M?nniskor har ?ven bilder av helgon i sin bil f?r att skydda dem i trafiken, Padre Pio, men sen ser du att barn hoppar i bilen, utan bilb?lten, i 140 km / timmen. Du hittar statyer av Heliga Maria i m?nga hush?rn och v?ggar, och varje stad firar sin egen helgon vilket ofta ?r stadens h?jdpunkt.

I hj?rtat ?r inte sicilianare i allm?nhet religi?sa. De flesta f?ljer inte Jesus fotsteg, och t.ex. Catania ?r rankad som den stad d?r de flesta ?r otrogna mot sin partner … i hela Italien. Jag har under tio ?r tr?ffat en sann katolik som ocks? var pr?st. Han hade respekt f?r ateister och var mycket uppriktig om kyrkans traditioner och medgav att m?nga av dem bara ?r traditioner och inget att g?ra med kristendomen. Men han levde s? mycket som han kunde f?ljandes Jesu fotsteg. Han verkade ha fred i sitt hj?rta och var en fantastisk person. Genom personlig erfarenhet har jag tr?ffat m?nniskor som anv?nder religion n?r det passar dem, i mitt fall ofta f?r att sk?mma mig. Kvinnor som sk?mmer p? mig att jag inte ?r gift och har barn (ofta den ?ldre generationen) eller n?r religi?sa dagar kommer och de flesta hamnar i eufori, fr?gar de ofta hur jag kan hantera livet, inte vara en del av dessa traditioner, det m?ste vara ensamt? N?gra sk?mmer mig ?ven f?r att ha min familj l?ngt borta.

Det finns som religi?sa uttryck som anv?nds i livets h?ndelser som Santo Cielo! = Herregud!, med direkt ?vers?ttning skulle vara Helig Himmel!, eller Porca Eva! / Porco Guida! = Helvetes Fan!, med direkt ?vers?ttning ?r Gris Eva! / Gris Judas!, Vilket betyder n?r n?got ?r riktigt d?ligt, via bibeln ber?ttas att Eva lurade Adam och Judas bedrog Jesus.

Bara f?r att Sicilien ?r k?nt att vara ett religi?st omr?de betyder inte att du hittar mer moral h?r eller ?rlighet. Jag skulle s?ga att det ?r motsatsen. Sicilien har fortfarande mycket Omerta och saker du inte pratar om. Fusk, l?gn, bedr?geri, v?ld ?r lika mycket n?rvarande h?r som n?gon annanstans. Religion verkar vara f?r m?nga en gate-way att ha i reserv om …. Saker f?r?ndras ?nd? snabbt i Italien, eftersom kyrkan klagar p? att de har f?rre pr?ster och kyrkorna ?r tomma (artikel 28 Marzo 2017, p? italienska). De flesta runt omkring mig viskar att de ?r ateister eller fascinerade av buddism, men g?r till kyrkan de viktigaste dagarna f?r att behaga sin mamma eller f?r de vackra traditionerna. Generationsgap.