Pope praises example of mafia-slain Italian priest

By Lisa Zengarini

Pope Francis praised the life and testimony of Italian Father Giuseppe Diana, parish priest thirty years after being shot dead in Casal di Principe, near Naples, by hitmen, for his virulent opposition to the Camorra, the Neapolitan mafia, and his efforts to save young people from organized crime.

A courageous witness against organized crime

In a letter addressed to Mgr. Angelo Spinillo of Aversa, the diocese in which Casal di Principe is located, the Pope called Father Diane a “courageous disciple of the Lord” and thanked God for having given the Church this “good and faithful servant. who “worked prophetically” to serve and defend his people “to the point of sacrificing his own life.”

On March 19, 1994, an armed man burst into the Church of Saint Nicholas in Bari, where Father Diana – or “Don Peppe” as he was known – was preparing mass for the feast of Saint Joseph, shooting him twice in the head, once in the face, once in the hand and once in the throat.

This brutal execution followed the 1993 assassination of Blessed Giuseppe Puglisi in the Sicilian city of Palermo by the Sicilian mafia “Cosa Nostra”.

In his letter, Pope Francis expressed his closeness and encouragement to the entire diocesan community of Aversa and in particular to the faithful of Casal di Principe “who, remembering Don Peppe, want to experience the same hope of walking together in living the Christian prophecy, which invites us to build a world freed from the yoke of evil and from all forms of criminal arrogance.

The Camorra mafia is incompatible with the Gospel

Pope Francis reminded the faithful that in the face of “this violence and this inhuman arrogance which denies justice and destroys the dignity of people, Christians are those who proclaim the Gospel and live the vocation to be with Christ, a sign of a new, nourished humanity.” through fraternity and communion.

He recalled that awareness of this fact led the bishops of the Campania region, where the diocese of Aversa is located, to raise their voices in 1982 and highlight “the strident contrast that exists between the false messages of the Camorra and the message of Jesus. Christ.”

On this important anniversary, Pope Francis therefore invited the faithful of Casal di Principe to strengthen their faith and hope in God, “to welcome his Word and to strive to preserve their determination to build a society finally purified from sin and capable of daring for a future of harmony and fraternity.

Don't let yourself be robbed of hope for a better future on your land

In conclusion, the Pope launched a special appeal to the young people of Casal di Principe, “the beautiful and clean face of this land”, urging them not to let themselves be “robbed of hope, to cultivate high ideals and to build a different future.” , and to take the spiritual heritage of Don Peppe “to become, in turn, artisans of peace”.

“For the love of my people, I will not remain silent”

Born in 1968 in the same town where he was killed, before and after his ordination, Father Diana was actively involved in scouting, taught religion and was secretary to his bishop, but he became best known for his struggle against the Camorra in his region. .

In 1991, Diana published an anti-mafia letter entitled “For the love of my people, I will not remain silent”, in which he denounced the Camorra regime as a “form of terrorism”.

Following his murder, attempts were made to derail the police investigation by suggesting the priest was morally suspect. Ultimately, however, a local leader was sentenced to life in prison for ordering his murder, along with the hitmen who carried it out.

The diocese of Aversa created a commission responsible for collecting all the documents, testimonies and studies relevant to his possible beatification.