'Mafia martyr' Don Giuseppe Puglisi beatified in Sicily

[BroomWagon]

Priest Who Defied Mafia Is Beatified in Sicily

An Italian priest who stirred consciences with his anti-Mafia preaching and was gunned down by mobsters has been honored by the Vatican as a martyr.

The Rev. Giuseppe “Pino” Puglisi was beatified in a ceremony Saturday in Palermo, the Sicilian capital where he worked in a mobster-infested, poor neighborhood.

He was slain in 1993, a few months after Pope John Paul II visited Sicily and urged priests to rally the faithful against organized crime.

Puglisi encouraged young people, often jobless and easily recruited by Cosa Nostra, to turn their backs on the mob.

BBC article: bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22664822

 

[Mary_Gail_36]

Thank you for posting, I was unaware of this story.

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

Beato Giuseppe Puglisi prega per noi.

 

[kelvinf]

Priest Who Defied Mafia Is Beatified in Sicily

BBC article: bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22664822

I was very impressed by the way the BBC broadcasted this story on TV.

 

[kag1982]

Francis apparently mentioned this today during his Angelus address.

The circumstances of this priest’s martyrdom strike me as being very similar to those surrounding Oscar Romero. Perhaps that decision will be coming soon.

 

[BroomWagon]

I was very impressed by the way the BBC broadcasted this story on TV.

The Beeb does have video with a photo of the Priest which is helpful.

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I grew up with BBC radio and for news stories outside of the UK, the BBC was considered to be one of the most unbiased sources there were back in those days at least. Now, people do claim it has a bit of bias, it’s still pretty good.

I listened to Shortwave which I still have, Radio Deutsche Welle was on the air as well among many other broadcasters.

So, when a BBC story is ever cited, usually, I think the source is good.