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J.R.
"Black mass is a reference to an unholy agreement, or a deal with Satan." - That's what Susan says. That, however, is incorrect.
A Black Mass is a corruption of the Catholic Mass. In a Black Mass, Satanists make a mockery of the actual Mass, using Eucharistic Hosts typically stolen from a Catholic Church. Catholics believe these Hosts are the actually Body of Christ, making them extremely sacred. The Satanists use Black Masses to desecrate these hosts.
The reason the term used is "Black Mass" and not "Deal with the Devil" is that, in the analogy, the mob (Satanists), use the FBI (something sacred), to further their own ends and "desecrate" the FBI. The FBI is supposed to be good, but the mob takes it, and uses it for something evil.
A Black Mass is a corruption of the Catholic Mass. In a Black Mass, Satanists make a mockery of the actual Mass, using Eucharistic Hosts typically stolen from a Catholic Church. Catholics believe these Hosts are the actually Body of Christ, making them extremely sacred. The Satanists use Black Masses to desecrate these hosts.
The reason the term used is "Black Mass" and not "Deal with the Devil" is that, in the analogy, the mob (Satanists), use the FBI (something sacred), to further their own ends and "desecrate" the FBI. The FBI is supposed to be good, but the mob takes it, and uses it for something evil.
Susan
Chapter 13 of the book is titled "Black Mass". Black mass is a reference to an unholy agreement, or a deal with Satan. The chapter is about a dinner on the ten year anniversary of Bulger and Flemmi working with agents Connolly and Morris. At the dinner the agents told the mobsters that basically the two mobsters could do whatever they wanted, short of killing someone, and the FBI agents would protect them, and warn them in the event of an indictment. The "Black Mass" is the formal agreement made between the agents and the mob men to protect each other.
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