Pope Francis, who recently made some controversial statements about atheists, has now targeted the Italian mafia.
Reuters reports that the Pope urged members of the mafia to repent this week after he beatified Giuseppe Puglisi. Puglisi was a Sicilian priest that became known for his vocal statements against organized crime families in Italy. He ultimately paid for his statements with his life as he was shot to death outside of his home in 1993.
After the service, the Pope spoke out against many of the crimes committed by Italian mafias:
“My thoughts are with the suffering of women, men and also children who are exploited by the many mafias who make them slaves, through prostitution, through many social pressures. They cannot do this, they cannot make our brothers slaves, we must pray to the Lord to make these mafiosi convert to God.”
Pope Francis made headlines earlier this week when he said that atheists will be redeemed as long as they are good. As you can expect, the statement was met with controversy. His latest statements regarding the mafia will undoubtedly be met with less resistance.