Archbishop in Sicily bans mafia from being godfathers

by Dramelin 11:30 PM 0 comments

"The mafia has always taken the term godfather from the Church to give its bosses an air of religious respectability," he told AFP.
Archbishop Pennisi admits that the mafia culture of "omerta" - the law of silence - will make the ruling harder to enforce.
Image copyright AP Image caption Corleone, which gave its name to the mafia family in `The Godfather`, lies in the bishop`s dioceseAn archbishop in Sicily has moved to reclaim the term "godfather" from the mafia - by banning gangsters from taking the role at baptisms.
"Archbishop Pennisi`s diocese includes the notorious village of Corleone, a vendetta-torn enclave made famous by Mario Puzo`s novel The Godfather.
Michele Pennisi, a vocal mafia critic, has his diocese in Monreale, near Palermo.