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Free yourselves from mafia, pope says in crime-infested suburb

By Philip Pullella

 

FILE PHOTO: Pope Francis attends a meeting with faithful of the diocese of Rome at Saint John Lateran Basilica in Rome, Italy May 14, 2018. REUTERS/Tony Gentile/File Photo

 

ROME (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday visited a once-tranquil seaside community outside Rome that has become a power centre of mafia violence and political corruption and urged residents to break away from the "moorings of fear".

 

For decades popes have held the traditional Corpus Christi feast Mass and subsequent procession in the centre of Rome, walking between two magnificent basilicas.

 

This year Francis chose to move the event to two working-class parishes in Ostia, a district about 30 km (17 miles) from the centre with a population of about 230,000 people, to show solidarity with anguished and frightened residents.

 

In his homily during a Mass from the steps of the first church, he used the word "omerta", which refers to the code of silence organised crime groups impose on their members and the fear they use as a tool to keep others from talking to police.

 

"Jesus wants the walls of indifference and 'omerta' to be breached, iron bars of oppression and arrogance torn asunder, and paths cleared for justice, civility and legality," he said.

 

Using nautical language and speaking near the seaport of ancient Rome, he encouraged residents to break free from "the moorings of fear and depression," telling them "you have experienced painful situations".

 

Last January, police arrested dozens of alleged members of the Spada family, the clan authorities say runs extortion rackets controlling lucrative beach concessions, restaurants and gaming arcades as well as drug trafficking.

 

Ostia was put under control of a government commissioner for more than two years because of alleged mafia infiltration of the local administration as part of a wide-ranging investigation dubbed "Mafia Capital" in 2014.

 

The spotlight returned to Ostia in last year when Roberto Spada, gym owner and brother of a convicted mobster, was filmed headbutting an investigative journalist ahead of the March 4 national elections.

 

Roberto Spada and his older brother Carmine were among those arrested in January.

 

Police said at the time the brothers had ordered the murder in 2011 of Francesco "Little Moustache" Antonini and Giovanni "Black Rat" Galleoni, who were gunned down in front of bars and restaurants on a busy street just metres from the beach.

 

(Additional reporting by Massimiliano di Giorgio, editing by David Evans)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-06-04

[Lupatria]

Funny advice from the Don de Don of the Vaticong

[lionsincity]

The Pope needs to stand opposite soi 8 in pattaya and preach the same message

Edited June 4, 2018 by lionsincity
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[peperobi]

 My Pope is time to thinking what you can do with the money you have and not talk about things you do not understand. The biggest MAFIA is in the Vatican my friend, take care of.

[wombat]

Who does this pompous pos think he is. The vatican was surrendered to that other kiddy fiddling mob ages ago why isn't he in moslem country telling them to get along with the mob he represents? 

[rodney earl]

And this is coming from the mouth of one of the biggest if not the biggest mafia organisation in the world. What a joke this guy is!!!!!