Religious Identifiers In Institutional Expressions Of Sympathy Involving Heads Of State

Abstract

This article examines religious identifiers employed by heads of state in institutional expressions of sympathy. Analyzing official statements following natural disasters and terrorist attacks, it identifies key functions of religious symbolism: legitimation of authority, social integration, and transformation of public grief. Religious references serve as a strategic resource balancing secular protocol and spiritual expectations of diverse audiences. Three types of identifiers are distinguished: confessional, universalist, and ritualized formulae