Rome, Italy, Aug 20, 2013 / 15:10 pm
A priest in southern Italy believes that local mafia members may be behind a recent attack on his parish after he preached critically about them and called them to conversion.
According to the Italian daily Avvenire, Father Stefano Giaquinto – pastor of Saint Mary of the Victory in Casagiove – was surprised on the night of Aug. 15 by a fire at the "Nazarene" parish center, a clinic for drug rehabilitation which he founded and directs.
The fire took place days after the priest had denounced the mafia of the region from the altar, describing them as "the cancer of our land."
"I can name names," Fr. Giaquinto had said. "I believe in a Church that denounces in order to proclaim."