An Italian priest in one of his writings stated that a civil marriage is worse than a murder than aroused public skepticism.
In his next address, Father Tarcisio Vicario, a priest from the city of Cameri, in the province of Novara, firmly distinguished between the sins of murder and cohabitation. The clergyman stated that killing can be considered an “accidental” sin that can be corrected by atonement, while he called life in “constant adultery” a “serious” offense. That is why common-law spouses cannot become godfathers or mothers: after all, they cannot teach their wards "true faith."
The archbishop of Novara, Franco Giulio Brambilla, immediately denounced the words of his colleague and even apologized for them on the parish's official website. A few days later, the culprit of the incident himself followed his example.
By the way, not so long ago, members of criminal groups were criticized by representatives of the Holy See. Last month, Pope Francis during his trip to the southern regions of Italy said that members of the Calabrian mafia Ndrangheta “worship evil” and therefore they should consider themselves excommunicated. It is believed that people who are expelled from the church will experience the eternal torment of hell after their death. Francis insisted on a trip to the Calabria region, even though his visit could provoke local criminal gangs. It is worth noting that one of the predecessors of Francis, John Paul II in 1993 threatened to renounce members of Cosa Nostra from the Catholic Church, which provoked the mafiosi who blew up two churches in Rome.
As part of his business visit to the Calabria region, Pope Francis visited the family of a three-year-old child who died as a result of one of the Mafia raids in the town of Cassano allo Jonio. The kid was accidentally shot dead along with his grandfather during the "visits" of representatives of Ndrangheta, who planned to rob an elderly man. A few days after the tragedy, the remains of the dead were found in the Fiat Punto burnt to the ground. The terrible crime caused a wave of discontent in Italy. This incident occurred a few months after a similar incident in the Puglia region.
“This should not happen. Children should not suffer from this, ”Francis told reporters after he met with the parents of the deceased baby. “I constantly pray for his soul. Do not despair, ”the pontiff urged the public.
The Calabrian mafia Ndrgangeta is a world leader in the distribution of narcotic substances, most of which its representatives are sent to countries in Latin America and Europe. There is undeniable evidence that this criminal group was once closely linked to the Catholic Church. However, over the past twenty years, the situation has changed radically. Today, more and more clerics condemn the actions of the mafia, and also take an active part in the search and capture of some representatives of criminal groups.
