Pope John Paul II came to Sicily five times. During his visit on May 9, 1993, he excommunicated the Mafia. Standing in front of the Temple of Concord in Agrigento, he scolded the Mafiosi and angrily said: “I say to the leaders (of the Mafia): repent, because one day you will face the judgment of God.”
As if by a miracle, after the great Polish pope’s anathema against the mafia, there have been no more mafia massacres in Sicily. Of course, his words had an effect.
Now John Paul II is watching us from heaven. I feel he is scolding someone else now, admonishing the leaders of the world to end this useless slaughter and make peace prevail over war.
Ettore Grillo, author of these books:
– November 2: The Day of the Dead in Sicily
– A Hidden Sicilian History
– The Vibrations of Words
– Travels of the Mind
Ettore Grillo's Blog 