Posted on 06/22/2014 10:41:57 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Speaking to a gathering of tens of thousands of people at the power base of a highly dangerous organized crime group in Italy, Pope Francis Saturday condemned the mafia's "adoration of evil" and declared all mobsters as effectively excommunicated from the Catholic Church.
The pope traveled to, and held a mass in, the southern region of Calabria, the power base of the global drug trafficking syndicate 'Ndrangheta, to comfort the family of a 3-year-old boy who, along with his grandfather, was gunned down in a January shootout involving the mafia.
"Those who in their lives follow this path of evil, as mafiosi do, are not in communion with God. They are excommunicated," Reuters quoted Pope Francis as saying in impromptu comments at the mass.
People connected with the mafia are highly religious. They often fund some of Roman Catholic Church's programs and seek the blessings of local priests, according to USA Today. In April, bishops in Calabria issues a statement calling the mafia a "cancer."
"This evil must be fought against, it must be pushed aside. We must say no to it," the pope said Saturday, denouncing it for its "adoration of evil and contempt of the common good."
"Our children are asking for it, our young people are asking for it. They are in need of hope and faith can help respond to this need," Francis added.
(Excerpt) Read more at christianpost.com ...
What about Pelosi?!?! She’s part of the Pink Mafia.
Wow, this Pope is showing the power of his convictions.
I believe he is also sending a message to the world, and especially his bishops. Time for the bishops to start separating the goats from the sheep.
We will see....
For Abortion?- all congress critters seem to get a pass.
For Homosexual-(whatever..)all seem to get a pass.
A Priest- Who admits, YES admits to abusing children
For Years- gets a pass.
For some reason, I'm not inclined to hold my breath on that one.
“Wow, this Pope is showing the power of his convictions.”
How hard is it to excommunicate people who are already separated from the Church and hated by everyone including the media? I’m glad he did it, but it would mean a lot more to excommunicate pro-abortion politicians.
As a Catholic, I will believe this Pope is serious the day he announces Excomination of all Catholic politicians who support abortion and comes down on all of the Bishops, especially those in the US, who do not proactively support Catholic Church doctrine among their congregants.
wow...like they care....
excommunicating powerful people is always iffy. The Pope has shown the courage to excommunicate the ones that might kill you. I believe he is setting an example for the bishops to deal with the pro-abortion politicians.
“excommunicating powerful people is always iffy.”
Okay.
“The Pope has shown the courage to excommunicate the ones that might kill you.”
Do you think they necessarily care? Seriously, do you think they were regular church goers who will now be upset they’re cut off from the sacraments?
“I believe he is setting an example for the bishops to deal with the pro-abortion politicians.”
I hope so.
I'm not sure. Are they some kind of twisted Catholic that thinks providing drugs is a service?
Or are they like the terrorist who cloak themselves in the religion of Islam to commit atrocities and further their ulterior motives?
Maybe they see themselves as some sort of shadow government looking after the poor?
They see themselves as mobsters. Religion of any kind has nothing to do with it.
Why do they make a big deal of being Catholics?
God Bless Pope Francis!
“Why do they make a big deal of being Catholics?”
Show me some Italian mobsters these days making a big deal of being Catholic.
This is an interesting point. It made me think: would any priest even know when a mafia member came up for communion?
I’m sure some would know because some of these mobsters are very well known in their towns. But how many of them bother to ever go to Mass when so few basically decent people in Italy bother to go?
I don’t know. All I know of the Mafia is what I see in the movies...lol. And in the movies, they go to Mass and Confession!
From the four paragraph of the article:
People connected with the mafia are highly religious. They often fund some of Roman Catholic Church's programs and seek the blessings of local priests, according to USA Today. In April, bishops in Calabria issues a statement calling the mafia a "cancer."
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