Italian bishops have ordered religious gatherings in the south of the country not to worship the mafia houses they pass during Easter celebration processions.&n
During Easter Week traditional processions march through towns carrying statues of the Madonna or saints. In the past people have stopped in front of well-known mafia homes and dipped holy statues as a sign of respect.
The most recent case was last July when a procession in Calabria performed a detour and saluted outside the house of mob boss Giuseppe Mazzagatti, 82, who is serving a life sentence under house arrest. This came a month after the Pope said all mafiosi were excommunicated from the Church.
As Holy Week begins bishops have been told to watch out for mafia sympathisers who might try and pay tribute to mob members.
Bishop Luigi Renzo of the diocese of Mileto-Tropea-Nicotera in Calabria said processions should stop outside old people's homes or hospices to bless them but nowhere else.
Article by Hannah Tooley
Hannah Tooley is a multimedia journalist for Premier.
A Monthly Gift Of $11 Makes A World Of Difference
In a world of fake news there’s never been a greater need for quality Christian journalism. Premier’s mission is to provide the Church with the most up to date and relevant news, told from a Christian perspective. But we can’t do it without you.
Unlike many websites we haven't put up a paywall — we want to keep our journalism free at the point of need and as open as we can. Premier’s news output takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. No one in the USA is sharing news like we are across radio, magazines and online so please help us to continue that today.
For a monthly gift of $11 or more we’d also be able to send you a free copy of the brand new Premier Bible, a wonderful Anglicised version of the NLT packed with exclusive bonus content, reading plan and resources to help you get the most out of scripture.
Your monthly support will make a world of difference. Thank you.
Support Us
