Italy’s President supports anti-mafia priests

Priest Maurizio Patriciello couldn’t believe his eyes: unexpectedly and unannounced, a prominent believer was sitting in the pews at his Sunday mass: the President. Don Maurizio, as he is known to his congregation, is one of Italy’s best-known anti-Mafia priests and pastor of the church of San Paolo Apostolo in Caivano, a run-down suburb of Naples heavily infiltrated by the Camorra. “It was very nice to see the head of state among the faithful – as our brother, like everyone who attended the Mass,” said Don Maurizio after his homily. Mattarella’s visit shows that Caivano is no longer left alone by the state as it used to be.