Frederick Loos was cussing like a sailor the other night, which was surprising given that he is a Roman Catholic priest and his foul-mouthed discourse was delivered from the pulpit to hundreds of faithful gathered before him.<\/p>\n
He spoke of God, the need to serve him and how he can transform lives. But interspersed in his sermon was the most colorful of street Spanish, which brought smiles to the faces of many of the gang members, addicts and other young people pressed in tight to listen.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you go to China you have to speak Chinese,\u201d\u009d the priest explained afterward, slipping out of his vestments. \u201cIf you\u2019re speaking to kids you use their idioms. I don\u2019t think God is offended if it brings them closer to him.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
Those enmeshed in Mexico\u2019s thriving drug culture \u201d\u201d users and traffickers alike \u201d\u201d have an unusual relationship with the church. Sniffing glue and making the sign of the cross might not appear to go together any more than killing and the catechism. But for many believers in modern-day Mexico they do.<\/p>\n