Pope Benedict XVI faced criticism this week for failing to condemn the Mafia explicitly during his pastoral visit on Sunday to the shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary in Pompeii.In his homily at the shrine, Pope Benedict called the Rosary a ‘spiritual weapon in the struggle against evil, against all violence, for peace in hearts, in families, in society and in the world.’
In response to reporters’ questions, Vatican spokesman Father Ciro Benedettini said the pontiff deliberately did not refer to the Camorra organized-crime syndicate because ‘the trip has a strictly spiritual dimension, and it was out of respect for the fact that most people from this area are honest and not members of organized crime.’
Pope Benedict had explicitly condemned the Camorra during a trip to Naples in 2007: ‘Let us return to look at the reality of your city … There is the sad phenomenon of violence. It is not only a question of the deplorable crimes of the Camorra but also of the fact that violence unfortunately tends to breed a widespread mentality, creeping into the recesses of social life in the historical districts of the centre and in the new and anonymous suburbs, with the risk of attracting especially young people who grow up in contexts where unlawfulness, the ‘black economy’ and the culture of ‘fending for oneself’ thrive. How important it is, therefore, to redouble our efforts for a serious strategy of prevention that focuses on school, work and helping youth to manage their leisure time - an intervention which involves everyone in the fight against every form of violence, which begins with the formation of consciences and the transformation of everyday mindsets, attitudes and behavior.’
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