Pope Francis on Monday prayed for the protection of Rome from the "threat of the malign," in a public display of support for city authorities battling mafia influence.
Just days after the Italian capital was rocked by revelations that an organised criminal gang with links to neo-fascist terrorism has been stealing millions from city hall, Francis took the opportunity of a rare public appearance on the streets of Rome to warmly embrace centre-left mayor Ignazio Marino.
The pontiff then included a pointed reference to the city in a public prayer to the Virgin Mary to mark the Immaculate Conception, one of the most important feast days on the Catholic calendar.
"Know that evil has no power over you, you fill us with hope and strength in the daily struggle we have to wage against the threat of the malign," the 77-year-old leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics said in a prayer pronounced before thousands of believers and well-wishers packed into the surrounding narrow streets.
"Animated by this hope, today, we invoke your maternal protection for us, for our families, for this city and for the entire world," Francis said.
Marino, who has been told he should get a bodyguard in case of reprisals over last week's anti-mafia crackdown, said the pope had encouraged him to keep going.
"We exchanged a few words before the prayer and I told him I was feeling a heavy weight of responsibility this week. The Holy Father offered me encouragement and said he would pray for me and for Rome."
Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who is from the same Democratic Party as Marino, earlier said it was still unclear whether the Rome scandal amounted to a system of spaghetti-style kickbacks or real mafia infiltration.
"It is up to the judiciary to tell us that but we will not leave the capital in the hands of thieves," Renzi said.
"We will keep Rome clean because she is too big and too beautiful to be left to the lowlifes out there."
- Born without sin -
Having made the short trip from the Vatican into the historic centre of Rome, the Argentinian pontiff observed tradition by laying a wreath at the foot of a towering column which supports a statue of the Madonna close to one of the city's most celebrated landmarks, the Spanish Steps.
The feast of the Immaculate Conception celebrates the Catholic doctrine which holds that the mother of Jesus Christ was conceived and born without sin -- contrary to the popular misconception that it refers to another tenet of Catholicism, that Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus.
It is a national holiday in many predominantly Catholic countries. As such, for many it represents the start of Christmas festivities, both religious and secular.
Rome police last week named 100 people including a former mayor as being under investigation as part of a major probe into organised crime in the city.
Twenty nine suspects have been detained, including alleged ringleader Massimo Carminati, a one-eyed convicted mobster who was a figure in the neo-fascist terror movements that blighted Italian society in the 1970s and 1980s.
The pope, who is of Italian heritage, takes a keen interest in events in Italy.
He has regularly spoken out on the plight of migrants trying to reach the country by boat from Africa. And last month he described anti-refugee violence in Rome as symptomatic of a "social emergency" in the recession-bound country.
Pope Francis on Monday prayed for the protection of Rome from the “threat of the malign,” in a public display of support for city authorities battling mafia influence.
Just days after the Italian capital was rocked by revelations that an organised criminal gang with links to neo-fascist terrorism has been stealing millions from city hall, Francis took the opportunity of a rare public appearance on the streets of Rome to warmly embrace centre-left mayor Ignazio Marino.
The pontiff then included a pointed reference to the city in a public prayer to the Virgin Mary to mark the Immaculate Conception, one of the most important feast days on the Catholic calendar.
“Know that evil has no power over you, you fill us with hope and strength in the daily struggle we have to wage against the threat of the malign,” the 77-year-old leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics said in a prayer pronounced before thousands of believers and well-wishers packed into the surrounding narrow streets.
“Animated by this hope, today, we invoke your maternal protection for us, for our families, for this city and for the entire world,” Francis said.
Marino, who has been told he should get a bodyguard in case of reprisals over last week’s anti-mafia crackdown, said the pope had encouraged him to keep going.
“We exchanged a few words before the prayer and I told him I was feeling a heavy weight of responsibility this week. The Holy Father offered me encouragement and said he would pray for me and for Rome.”
Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who is from the same Democratic Party as Marino, earlier said it was still unclear whether the Rome scandal amounted to a system of spaghetti-style kickbacks or real mafia infiltration.
“It is up to the judiciary to tell us that but we will not leave the capital in the hands of thieves,” Renzi said.
“We will keep Rome clean because she is too big and too beautiful to be left to the lowlifes out there.”
– Born without sin –
Having made the short trip from the Vatican into the historic centre of Rome, the Argentinian pontiff observed tradition by laying a wreath at the foot of a towering column which supports a statue of the Madonna close to one of the city’s most celebrated landmarks, the Spanish Steps.
The feast of the Immaculate Conception celebrates the Catholic doctrine which holds that the mother of Jesus Christ was conceived and born without sin — contrary to the popular misconception that it refers to another tenet of Catholicism, that Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus.
It is a national holiday in many predominantly Catholic countries. As such, for many it represents the start of Christmas festivities, both religious and secular.
Rome police last week named 100 people including a former mayor as being under investigation as part of a major probe into organised crime in the city.
Twenty nine suspects have been detained, including alleged ringleader Massimo Carminati, a one-eyed convicted mobster who was a figure in the neo-fascist terror movements that blighted Italian society in the 1970s and 1980s.
The pope, who is of Italian heritage, takes a keen interest in events in Italy.
He has regularly spoken out on the plight of migrants trying to reach the country by boat from Africa. And last month he described anti-refugee violence in Rome as symptomatic of a “social emergency” in the recession-bound country.
