(CNN) -- Using his strongest language to date, Pope Francis told Italian Mafia members on Saturday that they are excommunicated from the Catholic Church.
"Those who in their life have gone along the evil ways, as in the case of the mafia, they are not with God, they are excommunicated," Francis said in an outdoor Mass in Piana di Sibari, Calabria.
It is the first time a Pope has spoken of excommunication for the Mafia. Excommunication, which excludes Catholics from the church, can be imposed by church authorities or incurred automatically for certain grave offenses.
The Pope's remarks will resonate strongly in this part of southern Italy, where the Mafia are known to attempt to portray themselves as upstanding religious men in good rapport with the Catholic Church, in order to maintain local credibility.
During a one-day visit to Calabria, the Pope denounced the local mafia, called 'Ndrangheta, as an example of "the adoration of evil and contempt for the common good."
According to reports, 'Ndrangheta is one of the wealthiest international crime organizations, with an annual turnover of 53 billion euros ($72 billion), much of it from the global cocaine trade.
Calabria also suffers from 56% youth unemployment, which the Mafia exploits with promises of jobs for disillusioned young people.
"They must be told, No!" the Pope said to a crowd of over 100,000 gathered for the outdoor Mass.
Much more at the above link. Some say that the Pope faces a threat from the Mafia over this, to which he said something like "At my age, I'm not too worried about that."
In the recent past the Mafia has beaten and murdered priests who stood up to them, so this strong stance is certain to be a major statement. Not often that you hear about excommunication in this day and age, but it's certainly merited in this case.
