I don't believe for a second that a Roman Catholic priest is promoting essentially what is best and most commonly known as Italian folk healing/magic. I watched both these videos many times and what I see and hear is a... for lack of a better word, spin.
I take umbrage to the notion that Benedicaria and its practitioners are the "Holiest of Holies". Divination is a huge part of Benedicaria and last I heard the Catholic Church wasn't endorsing fortune-telling. I was taught to know "la luce ed il buio" (the light and the darkness) and when we practiced divination it was something we did while at the same time apologizing to God and praying that He not be offended and punish us -because our mothers, in hushed voices, told us to. We even made emergency trips to the chapel of L'Oratoire St. Joseph to light candles to pray for forgiveness and to protect us from demons! (Really, there is a spot in the chapel to light candles for this intention.) I also observed how men especially, outwardly dismissed the practices of the über-devout (Catholic) women in my neighbourhood as
In case of what?
I had never heard the term Benedicaria until I read it online. Solitario, creator and webmaster of The Stregoneria Italiana Project posted it up on his forum asking his readership if we knew this term. The lady who taught me the ways, said to me "Ora tu sei sempre Benedetta." and she always called me Benedetta Carusa (Blessed Dear One). So although I use the term Benedicaria on my site to describe the practices in our collective ways that are indeed in tune with Catholicism, I cannot speak to the usage of the term Benedicaria outside of Vito's writing because I've never seen it. However, I like it and I do believe that if Vito chose this word to describe the "things he does", then he should own it.
The theme in both of Vito's videos is one of a desperate appeal to authority. He wants the good +Father to endorse his practices and thereby authenticating and legitimizing them. The good +Father does state that Benedicaria is liturgically sound and has absolutely no ties to stregoneria (witchcraft/folk magic/sorcery) in any way -but, it is very contrived. I guess what I'm saying is that Vito's questions are very leading and he repeats what +Father Jason says to the camera to fit his agenda. Seems like a lot of putting the priest on the spot if you ask me.
Notice how in the video in this entry, Vito expresses his... for lack of a better word, dismay, at the inclusion or rather association of Benedicaria to stregoneria on The Stregoneria Italiana Project. Vito's Benedicaria, with it's elements of Traditional Catholicism, Mexican Curanderismo and Cuban Santería is actually quite charming, but in my humble opinion it is not purely Sicilian nor Italian and it is definitely not purely Catholic.
Italian Americans have long been defined by their religious beliefs and practices. During the great wave of immigration, the Irish-dominated Roman Catholic hierarchy identified Italian immigrants as the "Italian problem" and mere "sacramental Catholics" due to the latter's popular anti-clericalism, the seamless blending of witchcraft and ecclesiastic teachings, their deep devotion to the cult of the saints and the Virgin Mary, and the spectacularly staged feste that mixed the sacred and the profane in streets across America. During the 20th century, Italian American spirituality and religious practices have undergone significant transformations with shifts in theological tenets, economic status, and the political climate. -John D. Calandra Italian American Institute and The Italian American Studies Program of Queens College
