Posted on 06/24/2014 1:13:36 PM PDT by mojito
Pope Francis has declared a sort of holy war on the Mafia. And it's not unreasonable to believe that the Mafia may fight back.
On Saturday, the pope traveled to Calabria, the heartland of one of Italy's biggest organized crime enterprises, the 'Ndrangheta, and, in front of a crowd of more than 100,000, blasted the 'Ndrangheta as example of "the adoration of evil and contempt of the common good." Then he dropped the hammer:
Those who in their lives follow this path of evil, as mafiosi do, are not in communion with God. They are excommunicated. [Pope Francis]
This is a big deal. Southern Italy's mobsters are a pietistic bunch — an overwhelming majority are active Catholics, and religious celebration is an important part of their public image and local legitimacy.
"During the making of a recent documentary for Italian television, I visited many of the fortified bunkers that 'Ndrangheta bosses have built in case they need to go to ground," Mafia researcher John Dickie told CNN last November. "Not one was without its crucifixes, its statuettes of saints, its paintings of the Virgin Mary.... Religion offers the Mafias a way to bind their organizations together, and gives them the feeling that they are extorting and killing in the name of a cause more noble than their own greed."
When Dickie was writing that, a prominent anti-Mafia prosecutor, Nicola Gratteri, had just told an Italian newspaper that the 'Ndrangheta was "getting very nervous" about the pope's push for financial transparency at the Vatican Bank, and "will seriously consider" taking him out. That was for potentially damaging changes to Mafia money laundering operations — it was business. Excommunication — barring the mobsters from membership and participation in the church — is personal.
(Excerpt) Read more at theweek.com ...
doubtful
I have to admit it takes some might big brass ones to do declare them all excommunicate
No, they would first target his friends and family memebers...
If they do, they’re idiots. Some men are more dangerous dead than alive.
I saw Godfather III. Pope hits are a convenient sub-plot.
Probably not. Too much to lose and not much to gain.
Who knows? he is not from Sicily...
“Fat”Clemenza?Very Good!I think The “Dons”would have NO problem taking out”Francis”!After all,he isn’t a”GoomBah”!!
I think they might, but not in a bang bang shoot 'em up way. More like the Holy Father might have some sort of tragic accident, or take the wrong pill for his heart condition.
Actually, he is from an Italian immigrant family in Argentina, IIRC.
It is said that they killed JFK
I read that Mussolini broke the power of the mafia for a generation or so.
He simply went down there and killed them all.
Yes..................
That’s a really good solution..............
The Mafia has no central authority. It’s feasible someone would do it.
Hmm. Abortion has killed more people than the Mafia and I haven’t seen him excommunicate the Kennedys, Pelosi, etc yet.
Only US Democrats believe that JFK is next in line to god.(FDR)
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