Italian prosecutor fears organized-crime threat against Pontiff

November 14, 2013

An Italian prosecutor has warned that organized-crime leaders may target Pope Francis for assassination.

Nicola Gratteri, who has fought the ‘Ndrangheta crime syndicate in the Calabria region, said that the group’s leaders are “very nervous” about the Pope’s calls for an end to corruption. Criminal bosses have preserved their respectability by making generous contributions to the Catholic Church, Gratteri observed, and the Pope has called upon Church leaders to refuse such donations. ‘Ndrangheta leaders are unsettled by the new attitude from the Vatican, the prosecutor said.

 

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Further information:

• Prosecutor warns of a mafia threat against Pope Francis (RNS)