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Pope Francis I excommunicates Mafia for 'adoration of evil' in strongest attacks in 20 years | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
The pope excommunicated the Mafia yesterday, blasting a group that is thought to be the most powerful organised crime organisation in the world. It is the most severe condemnation of the Mafia by a pope for two decades, after criticism over twenty years ago triggered revenge attacks in Italy. | The pope excommunicated the Mafia yesterday, blasting a group that is thought to be the most powerful organised crime organisation in the world. It is the most severe condemnation of the Mafia by a pope for two decades, after criticism over twenty years ago triggered revenge attacks in Italy. |
The Mafia is an example of the “adoration of evil and contempt of the common good,” he said. | The Mafia is an example of the “adoration of evil and contempt of the common good,” he said. |
In unplanned remarks about the ‘Ndragheta crime group to thousands of people at Mass in southern Italy, Pope Francis said: “Those who in their lives follow this path of evil, as Mafiosi do, are not in communion with God. They are excommunicated.” | In unplanned remarks about the ‘Ndragheta crime group to thousands of people at Mass in southern Italy, Pope Francis said: “Those who in their lives follow this path of evil, as Mafiosi do, are not in communion with God. They are excommunicated.” |
The pope said that the church would use its full force to combat organised crime. “Our children are asking for it, our young people are asking for it,” he said. | |
Pope Francis leaves in a helicopter from the small town of Sibari after a mass during the feast-day Mass of Corpus Domini, where he made the comments. Source: Getty Images The comments came after the pope met the family of a three-year-old child murdered earlier this year. Authorities believe that the ‘Ndrangheta are behind the killing, in which two other people died. | |
They concluded a visit to Calabria, 'Ndragheta's heartland and the site of the murder. | They concluded a visit to Calabria, 'Ndragheta's heartland and the site of the murder. |
A spokesman said that the words did not constitute the kind of formal decree that is required for official excommunication. But the statement is still expected to have a deep affect on members of the Mafia, because many see themselves as religious and attend ceremonies. | A spokesman said that the words did not constitute the kind of formal decree that is required for official excommunication. But the statement is still expected to have a deep affect on members of the Mafia, because many see themselves as religious and attend ceremonies. |
The comments — the first time that a pope has used the word excommunicated in relation to th e organised crime group — are thought to be the church’s strongest attack on the Mafia since 1993. Then, Pope John Paul blasted the Sicilian Mafia when he visited the area after a run of murders, and urged Roman Catholics in Sicily to rise up against them. | |
Pope Francis made the comments while visiting the mafia heartland of Calabria for the first time on Saturday to spend a day in the hometown of a toddler who was murdered in a clan drug war. A number of churches were bombed after Pope John Paul's comments, in part because the church had broken an unwritten hands-off rule towards organised crime, experts said at the time. | |
The target of Pope Francis’ attack, the ‘Ndrangheta, is based in Calabria, the heel of Italy and is estimated to make up at least 3% of the country’s GDP. But it has spread across the world and has revenues of around £44 billion from drug trafficking, extortion and money laundering. | The target of Pope Francis’ attack, the ‘Ndrangheta, is based in Calabria, the heel of Italy and is estimated to make up at least 3% of the country’s GDP. But it has spread across the world and has revenues of around £44 billion from drug trafficking, extortion and money laundering. |