A mafia hitman is being blamed for making a poison chalice for an outspoken priest. He is said to have mixed bleach with communion wine. Father Felice Palamara (pictured) – who is known for bravely denouncing organised crime in his small town – narrowly missed drinking the lethal mixture when celebrating Mass last Saturday. Fortunately, Read more
A man carrying a hammer and a meat cleaver attacked a high-profile anti-mafia priest in Rome during a march against organised crime this week. Father Antonio Coluccia is known for his efforts to rescue young people from the drug trade. Coluccia immediately vowed the assault won’t interrupt his work. “I will continue my fight which Read more
After an octogenarian priest was swindled out of more than $450,000 over a two-year period and threatened when he stopped giving the “family” money, the Diocese of Padua, Italy, launched a continuing formation program for priests focused on financial accountability and avoiding scams. Read more
Pope Francis has told members of the Sicilian mafia, who are regular worshippers, that they cannot believe in God and be Mafiosi. Francis was in Sicily on the weekend to honour a priest murdered by the mob 25 years ago while trying to save youngsters in poor neighbourhoods from falling into their hands. “You can’t Read more
Mafia connections between the Catholic church in southern Italy and organised crime are over. When a Sicilian mobster known as the “boss of bosses” died in prison last month, a spokesman for the Italian conference of bishops said it would be “unthinkable” to give him a public funeral. Read more
Pope Francis has sharp words for Catholics who “proudly boast they are very Catholic” yet fail to pay their workers a fair wage. “How many times have we heard — all of us, around the neighbourhood and elsewhere — ‘to be a Catholic like that, it’s better to be an atheist?’” he asked a morning Read more
Rome authorities are looking into whether refugees, migrants and other homeless people can be accommodated in houses confiscated from the mafia. City officials are mapping the confiscated real estate to see if any of it is suitable for temporary housing. The first census of 200,000 potentially available apartments is due by the end of October, Read more
Pope Francis will wash the feet of inmates at a prison known for housing mafia turncoats on Holy Thursday. He has often denounced the mafia. He has declared them “excommunicated” and urged them to change their ways. Many mafia turncoats have done just that. Read more
The Mafia-Catholic Church relationship is not static, but has changed over the past 30 years says Rossella Merlino. She says the Church is very far from the brotherhood these days. This hurts the members she says as they have what she calls a “complex and varied” relationship with the Church. They rely on the Church Read more
The Catholic Church in Pennsylvania has been accused of mafia-like tactics in a campaign to put pressure on lawmakers. The Church is lobbying against proposed state legislation that would give victims of sexual abuse more time to sue their abusers. Archbishop Charles Chaput inadvertently sent an email to a state representative accusing him of “betraying” Read more