Santos de la Delincuencia, ii



Saint Julian l'Hospitalier.


"Julian, our Lord hath sent me to thee, and sendeth thee word that he hath accepted thy penance. And a while after Saint Julian and his wife rendered unto God their souls and departed out of this world."





Medieval Sourcebook: The Life of St. Julian the Hospitaller

"Hold!" says Love, "Do not strike them at all! She used to be your lover and good companion. It was she who made you a count in Spain. Never has she done you wrong. How do you know who lies here now? Wake them at least, rather than putting your hands to strike her."

Speaks Cruelty: "They will cry out and beg you, in God's name, and you for mercy. Strike quickly, kill them both, for you have found them in the deed. And then go off to your own country. Give them what they deserve."

Cruelty wins the blow and the count from whom all reason has flown, strikes. Such is the loveless blow of his sword that he cut them in two and slices the very bed in half.





Gustave Flaubert's "The Legend of Saint-Julian the Hospitaller"

He beheld a valley shaped like a circus and filled with stags which, huddled together, were warming one another with the vapour of their breaths that mingled with the early mist.

For a few minutes, he almost choked with pleasure at the prospect of so great a carnage. Then he sprang from his horse, rolled up his sleeves, and began to aim.





Patron of boatmen, carnies, the childless, circus workers, clowns, ferrymen, fiddlers, hospitallers, hunters, innkeepers, jugglers, knights, murderers, pilgrims, shepherds, lodgers, travellers, wandering musicians.







Jean de La Fontaine's "St. Julian's Prayer"


WHO, after this, will doubt the pow'r of prayers?
These silly knaves had banished all their cares;
And when at ease they thought to skip and prance,
Were seized and quickly taught another dance.
On t'other hand, where dire distress prevailed,
And death, in various ways, our spark assailed,
A beauty suddenly his senses charmed,
Who might a prelate's bosom have alarmed.
So truly fortunate, indeed, his lot,
Again his money, baggage, horse he got;
And, thank Saint Julian, howsoever tossed,
He passed a, blissful night that nothing cost.

Saints du Sang, i

Saint Jean Baptiste Marie Vianney, Curé d'Ars.
"We implore Thee, O Lord, by the intercession of Saint Philomena, Virgin and Martyr, who was ever most pleasing to Thy eyes by reason of her eminent purity and the practice of all the virtues, pardon us our sins and grant us all the graces we need. Amen."





The Incorruptibles

By the year 1855, Fr. Vianney was hearing as many as 20,000 confessions a year, spending 13 to 16 hours a day in the confessional. His direction was characterized by common sense, remarkable insight, and supernatural knowledge. As the news continued to spread, the sick were brought to Ars and many were miraculously cured.

During 30 years, Fr. Vianney claimed to experience frequent attacks of the devil. Voices, strange noises, threats, furniture being thrown about and many other demonic assaults took place almost every night. Besides all this external suffering, Fr. Vianney had physical ailments such as severe headaches, rheumatism, toothaches, fever and exhaustion.



Incorruptibility is the property of a body — usually a human body — that does not decompose after death. Such a body is sometimes referred to as incorrupt or incorruptible (adjective) or as an incorruptible (noun). [...] Incorruptible bodies are often said to have the Odour of Sanctity, exuding a sweet aroma.





Saint Philomena
"In an act unprecedented in the history of Catholicism, she became the only person recognized by the Church as a Saint solely on the basis of her powerful intercession, since nothing historical was known of her except her name and the evidence of her martyrdom."


The Universal Archconfraternity of Saint Philomena at Mugnano, Italy




Catholic Encyclopedia > J > St. Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney

"His direction was characterized by common sense, remarkable insight, and supernatural knowledge. He would sometimes divine sins withheld in an imperfect confession."
"The greatest miracle of all was his life. He practised mortification from his early youth. and for forty years his food and sleep were insufficient, humanly speaking, to sustain life. And yet he laboured incessantly, with unfailing humility, gentleness, patience, and cheerfulness, until he was more than seventy-three years old."

Santos de la Delincuencia, i



San Jesús Malverde de Sinaloa.


"Today, prostrate and before your cross, Oh, Malverde, my lord, I beg you for mercy and relief from my pain. You who dwell in Glory and are close to God."





Without God or Law: narcotrafficking and belief in Jesus Malverde.

The most important Mexican drug cartels have deep roots in Sinaloa state. Notorious drug lords (Jefes de Jefes) such as Miguel Félix Gallardo, Ernesto (Don Neto) Fonseca, Rafael Caro Quintero, Amado (El Señor de los Cielos) Carrillo Fuente, José Luis (El Güero) Palma, Joaquín (El Chapo) Guzmán, Ismael (El Mayo) Zambada and the Arellano Félix brothers all have strong family ties to a specific region of this State. Sinaloan institutions, social customs, and cultural references (material and symbolic) are permeated with drug referents and signifiers. Cultural references to drugs are badly misunderstood by non-Mexicans- especially by formal agents who purport to identify and control the drug trade. Misunderstanding prevails even though some Mexican scholars have described the Sinaloan context (especially Luis Astorga), and have presented cogent analyses of important cultural referents such as narcocorridos (Valenzuela). This essay explores the links between religion and the drug trade, specifically as religious ideas are expressed in the worship of a mythical drug saint named Jesús Malverde. The Capilla de Malverde is located in Culiacán, but other centers exist in Los Angeles, Colombia and Venezuela. Sykes and Matza's older ideas about subterranean values and neutralization are reconsidered in light of Malverde's appeal to specific drug workers such as burreros (smugglers) or productores/gomeros (growers). Worship of Jesús Malverde illustrates limitations of neutralization theory as it has traditionally been interpreted.





The Irony of Broken Windows: The Relationship Between Disorder, Focused Police Crackdowns and Fear of Crime

Living on a street segment at the maximum level of disorder corresponded to having a much higher probability of feeling unsafe than a segment at the minimum level of disorder. This suggests that the relationship between disorder and fear hypothesized by the broken windows literature may exist, and that police may be able to reduce fear of crime by reducing disorder. However, it was also found that the police intervention itself increased the probability of feeling unsafe. Thus any fear reduction benefits resulting from focused police crackdowns on disorder and minor crime may be at least partially offset by the extra police presence itself causing residents to become more fearful.





Mexico's drug smugglers' patron saint, Jesus Malverde, no longer their own

In Mexico, the illegal drug trade has taken control. We are in the middle of a violent civil drug war. On a daily basis we hear of violence, kidnappings, and executions. In a deeply religious country, one wonders how could such hate, bloodbath, and evil exist. The answer may surprise you. Not only our nation’s drug traffickers and cartels, but rich and poor common citizens alike are beginning to have faith, seek intervention, and take refuge behind the drug smuggler’s own patron saint Jesus Malverde.