Pope Francis urges mafia members to stop blasphemy against God

Yesterday morning The Pope warned mafia members that they, “cannot believe in God and be Mafiosi”- which is a reference to the fact that most mafia members are regular worshippers.

The Pope was paying his respects to Father Giuseppe Puglisi, at the anniversary of his death. Father Puglisi was murdered 25 years ago by the mafia in Sicily. The Pope went on to say that Sicily needs, “men and women of love, not men and women ‘of honor’”, referring to the code used by the mobsters to define themselves.

Father Puglisi was shot at the doorstep of his home on his birthday, September 15th, in 1993, and his murder came at the time when mafia attacks against opponents of their influence were a serious matter. He was declared a “martyr” who was “killed by the hatred of faith” by Pope Francis’ predecessor,

Benedict XVI in 2012.