Those who followed Jesus weren’t perfect, stressed Pope Francis as he received a group of women who have left criminal networks. His meeting with them, held October 30, 2023, was brought about by Father Luigi Ciotti, an Italian priest known for his fight against the mafia.
The Pontiff joked that the first time he had met Don Luigi Ciotti, one of his cousins from Piedmont had called him and warned him: “Jorge, watch out for bad company, this Ciotti isn’t clean.”
“That’s the first information I had about you,” recounted the Pope, triggering laughter.
On March 21, 2014, the 266th Pope presided over a vigil organized by Luigi Ciotti’s anti-mafia association (Libera), in the church of San Gregorio VII, near the Vatican. On that occasion, he had some strong words:
The power, the money, that you possess now from so many dirty transactions, from so many mafia crimes, is blood-stained money, it is power soaked in blood, and you cannot take it with you to the next life. Convert, there is still time, so that you don’t end up in hell. That is what awaits you if you continue on this path. You had a father and a mother: think of them. Cry a little and convert.
Keep going and carry the Gospel
Now, the Pope assured his audience that we are not set free “by magic, but by walking with the Lord – this gives us freedom! – sharing His steps, His path, which necessarily traverses the Cross and leads to resurrection.”
“I bless this choice of yours,” the Pope told them, “and I encourage you to keep going.”
The Holy Father offered a concrete piece of advice, one that he has suggested on various occasions:
It is important to carry that little Gospel with you and read a passage every day; it will be good for you. Then, we will see what we can do to let you have the Gospel: I will send it via Don Ciotti. Let me know how many of you there are and he will give one to each of you. But carry it in your pocket, in your bag, always, and read a passage each day. This will be a good thing, very important.
From blood money to healthy crops
After founding an association to help drug addicts, Don Luigi Ciotti turned his attention to organized crime and corruption. In 1995, after the Mafia attacks that led to the deaths of Judges Falcone and Borsellino, he set up Libera, an organization that today coordinates over 1,300 associations, schools, and groups involved in the fight against the Mafia, corruption, usury, and more.
With Libera, Father Ciotti has been particularly active in promoting the social use – in agriculture, for example – of assets confiscated from the mafia.
Here is the full Vatican translation of the Pope’s brief address:
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I thank Don Luigi Ciotti, who is accompanying you, and I greet you, dear ladies, every one of you. Thank you for coming. And I greet all the others.
You know that among Jesus’ disciples, there were also some women. Those women – like the rest of the men – were not perfect people, they were not “angelic”: they were women tried by life, sometimes “contaminated” by evil. They were women whom Jesus welcomed with compassion, with tenderness, and he healed them. Think of Mary Magdalene, for example. With Him, they walked the path of liberation. And they did so precisely by walking with Him and with the other disciples. This is how it is: one becomes free not by magic, but by walking with the Lord – this gives us freedom! – sharing His steps, His path, which necessarily traverses the cross and leads to resurrection.
You, dear ladies, were born and raised in contexts polluted by mafia criminality, and you decided to leave it behind. I bless this choice of yours, and I encourage you to keep going.
I imagine there have been moments of fear, of confusion, it is normal… In these moments, think of the Lord Jesus who walks by your side. You are not alone; continue to fight. I advise you always to keep with you a small copy of the Gospel. Read a passage every day, calmly, and imagine you are with Him, with the Lord, in the midst of the disciples. And in reality, it is just like that: He walks with us every day on the path of life. His cross gives meaning to our crosses, and His resurrection is a source of hope.
It is important to carry that little Gospel with you and read a passage every day; it will be good for you. Then, we will see what we can do to let you have the Gospel: I will send it via Don Ciotti. Let me know how many of you there are and he will give one to each of you. But carry it in your pocket, in your bag, always, and read a passage each day. This will be a good thing, very important.
Thank you once again for your visit. I accompany you with prayer for you and your loved ones, especially your children. May the Lord bless you and Our Lady keep you. And now let us pray together, and I will give you the blessing.
And today we celebrate...