"Eradicating the mafias is possible and necessary. The contrasting action begins with the rejection of that method that denies dignity to the person, with the rejection of compromise, reticence, opportunism".
The president Sergio Mattarella writes in a statement on the occasion of the "National Day of Remembrance and Commitment in memory of the innocent victims of the mafia".
"Only when criminal organizations are eradicated from our territories will we be able to say that we have truly honored the memory of all the victims of the mafia. Cultivating the memory of those who lost their lives fighting for legality is a categorical imperative. Especially today, with the economic emergency aggravated by the pandemic, there is a high risk that the clans act as banks for businesses and as an employment agency for those who lose their jobs ".
This was declared by the President of the Senate, Elisabetta Casellati on the Day of Remembrance and Commitment in memory of the innocent victims of the mafia.
The Pope: the mafias are against the Gospel, now enriched by the pandemic
- "Today in Italy we celebrate the Day of Remembrance and Commitment in memory of the innocent victims of the mafias".
The Pope recalled this at the Angelus, underlining that "mafias are present in various parts of the world and, by exploiting the pandemic, they are enriching themselves with corruption".
Pope Francis defined them as "structures of sin", "contrary to the Gospel of Christ", which "exchange faith with idolatry".
"Today we commemorate all the victims and renew our commitment against the mafias", the Pope exhorted.