[Miss Didi]

Then again he is “Italian Catholic”, which means only nominally.

What the heck does that mean? So now we Italian Catholics aren't the real thing? Clem, put down the wine and go to sleep.

[Clemenza]

The old saying is "in Italy, everyone follows the Church, one half with a candle, the other half with a club."

Southern Italy (where mine and Rudy's maternal ancestors hail from) is historically one of the most anti-clerical regions in all of Europe. The Irish and Germans were shocked when they saw the southern Italian immigrants whose menfolk didn't go to Church and whose womenfolk continued quasi-pagan practices.

There is a good reason why, in the old northern cities, that the Italian Church is usually smaller than the Irish, German, or Polish Churches.

[Clemenza]

The old saying is "in Italy, everyone follows the Church, one half with a candle, the other half with a club."

Southern Italy (where mine and Rudy's maternal ancestors hail from) is historically one of the most anti-clerical regions in all of Europe. The Irish and Germans were shocked when they saw the southern Italian immigrants whose menfolk didn't go to Church and whose womenfolk continued quasi-pagan practices.

There is a good reason why, in the old northern cities, that the Italian Church is usually smaller than the Irish, German, or Polish Churches.

There are devout Catholics in Italy, but they are mostly in the north and in portions of the central (outside of the industrial Red Belt), not generally in the South.