Vatican , Sept. 22, 2020: The Vatican has launched a think-tank at an event called Liberating Mary from the Mafia. The move has been made to prevent mobsters from hijacking Catholic tradition to claim God is on their side.
According to an AP report, Pope Francis is backing efforts to prevent the Mafia from using the image of the Virgin Mary for their criminal ends.
The think tank, that was appointed by Pontifical Marian Academy, was launched at ‘Liberating Mary from the Mafia’ conference on Sept 18.
The think tank consists of clergymen and law enforcement experts with knowledge in fighting organised crime.
While reading out a message at the conference, the Pope said that the religious and cultural image and patrimony of the Madonna “must be preserved in its original purity.”
Pope Francis said any popular displays of devotion to Mary must “conform to the message of the Gospel and the teachings of the church.”
In 1993, Pope John Paul II said that the Mafiosi should change their ways or face the wrath of God’s final judgment.
The use of Virgin Mary’s image has been common thanks to the Catholic Church’s association with the mafia, partly thanks to them both opposed to Communism. According to The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, this has gone on unchecked in Italy recently.
Some Catholic priests who have opposed the mafia, have paid for it with their lives. While others have been questioned for allowing mobsters use churches to celebrate sacraments such as christenings, weddings, funerals and even religious processions. Churches are also known to have accepted donations from mafia organisations.
The ‘Ndrangheta crime syndicate in southern Italy, is known to use a Catholic shrine to host its meetings, The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project says.
Organised crime groups in Brazil and Mexico are also known to use Catholic symbolism for their own criminal ends.
https://www.theweek.in/news/world/2020/09/19/pope-francis-seeks-to-liberate-virgin-mary-from-the-mafia.html
I love my catholic Church even though l know myself I’m a sinner. Jesus will protect His church jealously. He will help those good hearted people always because He is good.
Well judgement day is here and Jesus Christ is descending.
The Vatican needs to resolve so many of its own issues before tackling anyone else’s.
What’s playing out in the Occidental countries is playing in now in the Oriental countries.
In the east, pompous, pious extravaganzas are being done without any check.
Piety is increasing day by day, but alas faith is decreasing day by day.
The first and best tabernacle, the Spouse of the Holy Spirit, Blessed Virgin Mary is being hyjacked by the religious mafia here in India, esp. in Kerala.
I entreat highly humbly to the peerless Pope to emancipate the Church of Kerala, India from the clutches of the religious mafia, or else what’s occurred in the Western countries will without doubt ,imminently happen here in the East.
Devotion to our lady of Velankanni is purely from simple faithful, no where to be compared with Italian or Latino mafia
Today Catholic ‘religious leaders’ have converted Mother Mary into a ‘business commodity’. All the ‘pilgrimage places’, created to popularize the devotion to Mary, are the classic examples. It is indeed ‘hijacking Mary’ purely for ‘income generation’. What does the Pope say about it? Should he not liberate Mary from this religious mafia?
What about the “Crusades” fought in the name of Jesus in order to recover the Holy Land from Muslims? Most of the Christian denominations have ‘hijacked Jesus’ to carry on their religious business.
Pope must have the courage to oppose all types of ‘hijacking’ by religious mafia.
In our beloved country too, some of the lockedown churches were opened for the Novena of our Lady of Good Health, popularly known us Our Lady of Veilankani..!!
Is the intention of every one same. ?? Or can they be also share some aspects of South Italian syndicate..??