Pope benedict on the verge of war with the mafians,may face assassination warns italian prosecutor

ROME (RNS) Pope Francis could be at
risk from the ‘Ndrangheta organized
crime organization, according to a
leading anti-mob prosecutor who has
himself been the target of threats from
the mafia.
Nicola Gratteri, 55, a state prosecutor in
the southern Italian region of Calabria,
where the ‘Ndrangheta is most active,
said the pope’s effort to reform the
church is making the ‘Ndrangheta “very
nervous.”
The organization is considered by experts
in Italy to be the most dangerous, most
unified and most difficult to penetrate
mafia-type organization in the country.
“I cannot say if the organization is in a
position to do something like this, but
they are dangerous and it is worth
reflecting on,” Gratteri warned. “If the
godfathers can find a way to stop him,
they will seriously consider it.
“Those who have up until now profited
from the influence and wealth drawn
from the church are getting very
nervous,” he added. “For many years, the
mafia has laundered money and made
investments with the complicity of the
church. But now the pope is dismantling
the poles of economic power in the
Vatican, and that is dangerous.”
Gratteri noted that in southern Italy
organized crime figures have strong and
high-profile relationships with local
church leaders, who help give the crime
figures legitimacy.
He also said most Italian mobsters are
practicing Catholics, despite their violent
activities.
“A gunman from the ‘Ndrangheta will
pray and kiss his rosary before shooting
someone,” said Gratteri, who has been
under police protection against the mob
since the 1980s.
Gratteri was named by Italian Prime
Minister Enrico Letta to head a special
committee aimed at curbing the
influence of organized crime.
Francis has spoken out strongly against
organized crime in the past, specifically
naming the country’s four main
organized crime groups –including the
‘Ndrangheta — in May.
On Monday (Nov. 11), Francis spoke out
against corruption, quoting Jesus from
the Gospel of St. Luke: “It would be better
for (the corrupt man) if a millstone were
put around his neck and he be thrown
into the sea.”
Security issues have been an area of
concern since the early days of Francis’
papacy because of his willingness to
break protocol to engage with the
faithful.