Italian Rosary
Why is Catholic-based sorcery confused with witchcraft?
On the Internet I encountered a cult known as Stregoneria Italiana that practices a form of Catholic-based sorcery. They use folk magic practices that involve Saints and various things used in the practice of Catholicism (like the rosary and holy water, etc.). But they call their practice witchcraft.
I know there is a similar form of folk magic that is not uncommon among Italians that do things like this type of sorcery. But why call it witchcraft? And why would witchcraft be part of a Catholic-based cult in the first place? I've tried to get information from the followers of Stregoneria Italiana but they become antagonistic and hostile when questioned about such things. So does anyone know the answers?
You ask a good question, why indeed does anyone want to use the word "witchcraft" in association with a Catholic oriented system like Stregoneria Italiana? I don't believe that in their case it's just ignorance.
Anyway, the Catholic Church was responsible for the persecution of witchcraft in the past, and it's still opposed today. So the two don't fit, that's certain enough.
It appears that some people do confuse folk magic with witchcraft, and I guess it's easy to do. The modern Italian word "stregoneria" is commonly translated into the English word "witchcraft" but it actually means black magic. The Italian word "strego" means to enchant (use magic) and "neria" is derived from nera/nero, which in Italian means black or dark. So "stregoneria" literally means dark or black enchantment. However the followers of Stregoneria Italiana claim to use magic for positive purposes. They seem quite confused.
In reality, the folk magic people of Italy are offended to be called witches. They see themselves as Catholics. This is the Italian cultural understanding. For the followers of Stregoneria Italiana to call what they do "witchcraft" is an act of cultural violence against Italian culture and against the Italian folk magic practitioners themselves.
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