Pope: No More Mafia Worship at Easter

Easter processions in southern Italy are used to pausing the statues of the saints to honor local Mafiosi holed up in their houses. No more, says Pope Francis.

ROME — Last July, when the Catholic parishioners of Oppido Mamertina in Calabria dusted off the giant gilded statue of the Madonna delle Grazie for a saint’s day procession through the village streets, they did what they had done for years. They stopped in front of the house where 82-year-old Giuseppe Mazzagatti, a ‘Ndrangheta crime boss, was serving a life sentence on house arrest, to pay an unholy homage to a man been implicated in lethal crimes that have crippled the region. Videos of the procession show young men carrying the statue applauding in front of their idol’s home.

The act might have gone unnoticed, but a few weeks later, Pope Francis visited the area and was told of the practice by a regional bishop who found it “reprehensible.” Soon news of similar practices across Calabria in towns like San Procopio and Scido spread to the Holy See. The fact that the local cops and the priests of the dioceses led the processions made them even worse. 

The Pope used the examples as an opportunity to tell mobsters they could no longer hide behind their faith. Instead, he said, they are no longer welcome in the church.  “The ‘Ndrangheta is this: worship of evil and contempt for the common good. This evil must be fought until it goes away, you have to say no,” Francis told the local people. “Those who are not in this path of good, like the mafia, these are not in communion with God, are excommunicated."

Francis first took up the anti-organized crime cause in March 2014 when he held a ceremony in Rome during which he listened to the names of more than 800 men, women and children known to have been killed by mafia activity.

“The life that you are living now will not give you pleasure or joy,” he said then. “The power and money you have now from dirty business, and from mafia crimes, is blood-stained money, it is blood-stained power, and you won’t be able to take it to the after world. Repent. There’s still time to not end up in Hell, which is what awaits you if you continue on this path.”

Two weeks ago, the pope also met with people affected by organized crime when he visited the slums of Scampia outside of Naples. which is the epicenter for the Camorra crime syndicate’s heroin business.  There he likened the corruption of organized crime to “the stench of a corpse.”

The pope’s words have been taken to mean that stopping religious parades in front of known criminals’ homes is no longer an acceptable practice, even if the bosses are devout and repentant. And as Holy Week kicks off, dioceses across Italy’s criminal heartland are taking heed and vowing not to allow Easter processions to linger for the lawless.

“The power and money you have now from dirty business, and from mafia crimes, is blood-stained money, it is blood-stained power.”

“We need to stop making the statues protagonists in the criminal organization,” Luigi Renzo, the archbishop of Mileto-Tropea-Nicotera, declared on Palm Sunday.

To keep his word, Renzo has announced that he will divert the Holy Week procession entirely to avoid any known crime boss houses, promising that the statue from his church will stop only in front of the local hospital where he will give a blessing. But it won’t be easy. 

Renzo told The Daily Beast by telephone that his edicts are not being well received by everyone in the parish. “There are many people whose lives have been ruined by the ‘Ndrangheta,” he said. “But there are many others who couldn’t live without the organization. They have always been welcome in the church, but the Holy Father has changed that.”

Renzo says he told his parishioners to have courage to accept what is apparently a drastic change in the way many local dioceses in the deep south of Italy deal with known criminals. In February, Renzo and local bishops in Calabria met to adopt a set of regulations dealing with how the church must gradually change to turn its back on those known to be in organized crime, rather than allowing them forgiveness, which gives the impression they are allowed to hide behind their faith.

In Oppido Mamertina, Bishop Francesco Milito has also published a guide for local parishes on how to get through Holy Week without the usual practice of pausing the procession of the Madonna in front of known criminals’ houses. Last July, he defended his churchmen, telling local reporters that the priests don’t always know what’s going on in the procession, and that those who carry the saint are the strongest in body, not necessarily in faith. The guide, which was published online, advises priests not to give in to intimidation, and suggests that the best option for certain parishes is to “return the statues to the church using the shortest, most direct route possible.” 

Milito says stopping the practice of pausing the saints is only a small step to fight organized crime. “It is a gesture of caution, an invitation to reflection and silence,” he told his parishers on Palm Sunday. “Because the good of all and the serenity of mind sometimes require immediate sacrifices.”

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Taken from: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/03/31/the-mafia-s-blood-stained-stations-of-the-cross.html

Pope Francis: The devil is the root of jealousy, war

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday evening visited the parish of San Michele Arcangelo in the eastern Roman district of Pietralata. The parish is on the peripheries of Rome, and home to 8,000 families.
On his way to the parish, the Holy Father made a surprise visit to a shantytown called  “Campo Arcobaleno”, where he visited with residents for about 10 minutes.

Listen to our report: 

After arriving at the Parish Hall, Pope Francis met with a group of homeless people who are cared for by the Sant’Egidio Community.
“The fact that people do not know your name, and call you ‘homeless’ and you carry this: It is your cross, and your patience,” said Pope Francis. “But there is something in the heart of all of you – of this, please be assured – there is the Holy Spirit.”
He then held a meeting with parents whose children had been baptized in the previous year, and asked them to teach them the Faith well, and lamented there are “Christian children who cannot make the sign of the cross.”
In his meeting with older children, many of whom were part of the Scouting movement, Pope Francis pointed out that wars are not only those – and he asked them to make a list – which kill children in Iraq, Ukraine, and Africa. Wars are come about much earlier in people who do not possess God.
“Who is the father of war?” Pope Francis asked.  “The devil!” the children answered.
Pope Francis said the devil is the “father of hate”, “the father of lies” who seeks disunity.
“But God wants unity,” Pope Francis said. “If in your heart you feel jealousy, this is the beginning of war.  Jealousies are not of God.”
And this is the theme Pope Francis continued during his homily at Mass.
“It is sad when in a family, brothers do not speak because of something stupid,” Pope Francis said.
“Because the devil takes stupidity and makes a world,” he continued. “Then these enmities continue and multiply for years.  It destroys the family: Parents suffer because their children do not speak to each other, or with the wife of a son…And so this jealousy and envy, it is sowed by the devil.  And the only one who can drive out demons is Jesus.  The only one who can heal these things is Jesus. So to each of your: Have yourself healed by Jesus.”
As he often does during parish visits, he urged the congregation to listen to Jesus in the Gospel, to read a passage and ask themselves, what does it say to me?
“Have this daily contact with the Gospel,” Pope Francis said.  “Pray with the Gospel.”

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Taken from: http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/02/09/pope_francis_the_devil_is_the_root_

Pope Francis thrills Manila as estimated 6 million turn up for Mass

 

Estimated turnout is largest ever audience for a head of the Catholic church, surpassing the 5 million record set by John Paul II in 1995

Sunshine de Leon in Manila
Monday 19 January 2015 07.22 AEST

An estimated six million people flocked to Manila’s Rizal park on Sunday to attend the final mass of Pope Francis’ five-day visit to the Philippines.

The turnout breaks the record set by the last pope to say mass in the same park – John Paul II in 1995, when five people million attended.

Pope Francis holds mass with millions in Manila

 

The pope is a revered figure in the Philippines, where 80% of the population is devoutly Catholic. Many at the mass considered his visit as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Chiqui Tulaio had arrived at the venue hours before the mass began, to try to find a good place to stand along the motorcade route. “He is a second Jesus for us, a second father for Filipinos,” she said.

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Dancers in colourful attire attend the mass celebrated by Pope Francis. Photograph: Ettore Ferrari/EPA

Though it rained all day on Sunday, the weather did not dampen the spirits of the faithful who had come from all over the country, motivated by the chance to see a man whom they believe is an answer to their prayers.
Crowds lined the streets patiently and calmly, standing on the closed-off pavements near the venue or behind policed barricades waiting for a sight of their hero. To ­protect themselves from the rain they wore everything from rubbish bags turned into raincoats to shawls made of bubble wrap.
One observer, Joey Stefona, was so excited about the prospect of seeing Pope Francis in person he said: “If he passed by I would be so elated, no words can explain. I really love the pope. I can see all the people smiling – all smiling despite the rain because they are all hoping to see the pope and pray for ­everyone’s dream.”

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Pope Francis waves to the crowd from his popemobile based on the design of a jeepney. Photograph: Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images

As Francis rode into the park on a popemobile based on a Filipino “j­eepney” vehicle, he wore a simple plastic yellow rain poncho of the type that had been handed out to thousands who attended his visit to typhoon-ravaged Tacloban on Saturday.
Upon seeing the modified US army second world war jeep that so many use for public transportation, cheers of joy and excitement rang out in the crowd.
On seeing the pope for the first time, another member of the public, Fely Saldua, said: “It’s a happiness that you can’t describe, an inner happiness.”
A cancer patient who hoped seeing the pope would help her recovery said she wished him to hear “the voices of the Filipinos, not only the politicians or powerful people”.

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An aerial view of the crowd of worshippers waiting for the arrival of Pope in Manila’s Rizal Park. Photograph: EPA

Pope Francis also had a message for the Filipinos. During his homily he said that, given theirs was the foremost Catholic country in Asia, Filipinos were called to be missionaries of faith.
He also noted that it was sometimes tempting to “give up” amid the wrongs, but it was a time to remain strong.
A 16-year-old, named Brenda, said she wanted to tell the pope: “I want him to learn that even with all the crime going on there was hope, no matter how infinitesimal.”


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Taken from: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/18/pope-francis-thrills-manila-with-crowd-of-6-million-expected

Pope Francis writes to Tony Abbott, calls for G20 not to forget poor



 

November 12, 2014 - 2:51PM

Judith Ireland, Tom Allard

Pope Francis has written to Tony Abbott, calling for the G20 to not forget the world's poor. Photo: Getty Images
 

Pope Francis has written to Prime Minister Tony Abbott ahead of the G20, calling for the leaders' summit to focus on poor families and inequality as well as economic figures.
In a letter dated November 6, the Pope has asked Mr Abbott and his fellow heads of government "not to forget that many lives are at stake" behind the political and technical discussions of the G20 weekend.
"It would indeed be regrettable if such discussions were to remain purely on the level of declarations of principle," Pope Francis wrote.



"There are far too many women and men suffering severe malnutrition, a rise in the number of the unemployed, an extremely high percentage of young people without work and an increate in social exclusion, which can lead to criminal activity, and even the recruitment of terrorists."

The Pope also warned there were "constant assaults" on the environment as a result of "unbridled consumerism".

In calling for consensus among world leaders, he said he hoped that assessment of the G20's results "will not be restricted to global indicies, but will take into account as well real improvements in the living conditions of poorer families and the reduction of all forms of unacceptable inequality".
The Pope also used his letter to call on all G20 member states to be "examples of generosity" in meeting the needs of victims of conflict, "especially [those] of refugees".
The Prime Minister's office has been contacted for comment.

"Inclusive growth"

The letter comes as the community arm of the G20 calls on world leaders to set a growth target that would boost incomes for the poorest 20 per cent of households around the world.
In a paper released on Wednesday, the C20 argued that G20's two per cent growth target will not address the widening gap between rich and poor.
The current target is projected to boost world GDP by $US2 trillion over the next five years, but the C20 has questioned where the money will go, asking "will it go to those who need it most?"
Instead, the C20 is pushing for a target that would see the bottom 20 per cent of households in each G20 country increase their incomes by at least two per cent. By 2018, this would see around 950 million people with an average increased income of $US800.
C20 chair Tim Costello said the G20 had previously recognised the importance of inclusive growth at the 2013 St Petersburg Summit, but it had slipped off the agenda in 2014.
"Across the world, people are talking about the threat posed to economic stability by poverty and increasing inequality," he said.

New analysis

A new analysis by Oxfam has also revealed that inequality has grown significantly among G20 nations in the past year, with the richest 1 per cent of people enjoying an extraordinary $US6.2 trillion boost to their wealth, or 36 per cent of the total generated
The study by Oxfam found 15 of 19 G20 members (not including the European Union, a G20 member) saw inequality widen, based on assessment of how much wealth has been accrued by the top 1 per cent of people in each country.
Those 15 nations, on average, saw its richest citizens share of wealth increase by 3 per cent, led by rises of 7 per cent and 3.9 per cent in Indonesia and Russia, respectively.
The only nations to experience a decrease were Canada, Japan and the US (all down 0.1 per cent) and Saudi Arabia (down 1.6 per cent).
Overall, the wealthiest 1 per cent living in each G20 country snared $US6.2 trillion of the $US17 trillion created between 2013 and 2014, some 36 per cent of the total increase.
Oxfam Australia chief executive Helen Szoke welcomed the aggregate increase in the number of people being lifted out of poverty around the world in recent decades, but said it was disturbing to find that, nonetheless, income disparity is rising.
"It is vital that the G20 doesn't just look at growth but shows it is serious about tackling inequality," she said.
Like Mr Costello, Dr Szoke said it was deeply worrying that the draft final G20 communique that has been circulated does not include a commitment to "inclusive growth", a term that was inserted into the declaration by leaders after the St Petersburg Summit.
Instead, the favoured phrase appears to be "strong, sustainable and balanced" growth.
"This is beyond semantics," said Dr Szoke. "The reason is was included [in St Petersburg] was to show the G20 would address rising inequality and that growth needed to include all people".

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/pope-francis-writes-to-tony-abbott-calls-for-g20-not-to-forget-poor-20141112-11l00c.html#ixzz3ItkbosDV