Freeing Virgin Mary Mafia
Title: Pope calls for ‘freeing’ the Virgin Mary from the devotion of the Mafia
In a letter to an anti-mafia task force, Pope Francis called on them to “free the figure of the Madonna from the influence of criminal organizations.”“I learned with pleasure that this Pontifical Academy has promoted a conference to officially launch the Department of Analysis and Study of Criminal and Mafia Phenomena,” Francis wrote in a letter sent to Father Stefano Cecchin, president of the Pontifical International Marian Academy.
“I wish to express my appreciation for the important initiative,” the pope wrote.
Cecchin will lead the department, which will include priests, police officials, anti-racketing and anti-usury experts.
The letter will be released in full by Maria con te, a weekly Italian magazine dedicated entirely to the Mother of God. Excerpts of the letter were published in advance by several local news agencies.
“Marian devotion is a religious-cultural heritage to be safeguarded in its original purity, freeing it from superstructures, powers or conditioning that do not meet the evangelical criteria of justice, freedom, honesty and solidarity,” Francis highlighted in the letter, applauding the initiative of the Pontifical International Marian Academy to create the task force.