Home
/
RELIGION & LIBERTY ONLINE
/
Video: Rev. Sirico on Pope Francis and the Mafia
Video: Rev. Sirico on Pope Francis and the Mafia
Mar 15, 2026 6:31 PM

Earlier today, Rev. Robert Sirico spoke with Fox News’ Lauren Green on ‘Spirited Debate’ about Pope Francis’ decision to municate members of the Italian mafia. From Heard on Fox:

“Italy has e increasingly more secular and that has impacted the secularity of the mafia – they don’t have the kind of dramatic religious ties that they might have had at one time … the stuff of which movies portray,” said Sirico.

He added, “they [the mob] have an appearance of Godliness but really they are repudiating the power of Christianity.”

Sirico says the Pope’s actions symbolize his role as a pastor. “He forting those who are grieving the loss and are terrified … but he is also inviting the conversion of these people who are involved in these heinous crimes to repent for their sins.”

Watch the full interview below:

Comments
Welcome to mreligion comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
RELIGION & LIBERTY ONLINE
Economic and religious implications of the DNC platform
Earlier this week, I talked about the religious and economic implications of the RNC platform. As the DNC wraps up, it is time to examine the relevant points of the Democratic platform. Innovation & Entrepreneurship We need an economy that prioritizes long-term investment over short-term profit-seeking, rewards mon interest over self-interest, and promotes innovation and entrepreneurship. Minimum Wage Democrats believe that the current minimum wage is a starvation wage and must be increased to a living wage. No one who...
Rethinking ‘wasted votes’ and third-party candidates
Jill Stein (Green Party), Rocky Anderson (Justice Party), Virgil Goode (Constitution Party), and Gary Johnson (Libertarian Party). When es to something as important as a presidential election, most Americans don’t want to vote for a candidate who will very likely lose. But pragmatic considerations have no place in the voting booth, for two reasons. First, one person’s vote almost certainly won’t impact a presidential election. Second, voting for someone we consider the “lesser of two evils” loses sight of the...
Remembering Pope John Paul II’s advice: ‘Do not be afraid’
This week, the Catholic Church celebrates World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland. Fittingly, Pope St. John Paul II was chosen as one of the patron saints of the week, both as a figure who fits into the theme of the Year of Mercy and as a beloved Polish Saint who once served as the Archbishop of Krakow. John Paul II has a central place not only in the history and tradition of the Catholic Church, but also in world history...
Rev. Sirico on Catholicism in the 2016 presidential election
In a new article written in the Wall Street Journal, President and Co-Founder of the Acton Institute, Fr. Robert ments on the integrity of Catholic politicians. While respecting the traditions and doctrines of the Catholic Church, Sirico municant members should promise or adjust points of faith depending on institutional contexts. “Key doctrinal and moral rules apply to all Catholics in all contexts—in business, at home, or in elective office. One cannot “personally” oppose something while making a living advocating it.”...
Venezuela’s socialism leads to slavery
Because of high inflation and unemployment, Venezuela has themost miserable economy in the world. The country currently has aninflation rate of 180 percent (which is expected to increase1,642 percent by next year) and the currentunemployment rate is 17 percent, (which is expected to increase to nearly 21 percent next year). Shortages of basic goods like food, toilet paper, and medicine has devastateda nation where more than70 percent of the peoplealready live in poverty. The country has e so crippled by...
Explainer: What you should know about the Democratic Party platform (Part I)
During the recent DemocraticNational Conventionthe delegates voted to adopttheir party’s platform,a document that outlines the statement of principles and policies that the party has decided it will support. Although the document is not binding on the presidential nominee or any other politicians,political scientists have foundthat over the past 30 years lawmakers in Congress tend to vote in line with their party’s platform: 89 percent of the time for Republicans and 79 percent of the time for Democrats. Because of its...
The martyrdoms of labor
In recent years, Christian leaders, teachers, and pastors have putrenewed focuson the importance of integrating faith and work, recognizing the eternal significance of economic activity. Yet despite the array of resources and solid teaching on the subject,many Christianscontinue to struggle with feelings of apathy or ambivalence when es to their work.In my own discussions, it’s the mon responseI encounter: “I understand that God is glorified through my work,” they’ll say. “I understand that he’s gifted me and called me and...
Explainer: What you should know about the Democratic Party platform (Part II)
Note: This second article in a two-part series on the Democratic Party Platform. Part I can be foundhere. In the previous articlewe looked atsummary outline of the Democratic platform as it relates to several non-economic issues covered by the Acton Institute. Today, we’ll look at the party’s economic agenda as laid out in the platform. Because the document is lengthy (55 pages) and covers an extensive variety of economic-related areas (agriculture, energy) this list won’t be exhaustive. But it does...
How social-welfare policy is affecting family formation
In America, the most effective “anti-poverty program” is the institution of work (more specifically, ensuring people have a full-time job). The second most effective program for preventing people from being poor is the institution of marriage. The poverty rate among married couples in America is around 6 percent, and among married couples who both have full-time jobs the poverty rate is practically zero (0.001 percent). In contrast, the poverty rate among single-dads/moms is much higher: 25 percent for single dads...
Why Milton Friedman’s Capitalism and Freedom is still relevant today
As we approach what would be Milton Friedman’s 104th birthday this Sunday, July 31st, we should note the enduring significance of his evaluation of the connection between economic and political freedom. In his popular work, Capitalism and Freedom, in a chapter titled “The Relation between Economic Freedom and Political Freedom,” Friedman explains how a society cannot have the latter without the former. Friedman criticizes the notion that politics and economics can be regarded separately and that bination of political and...
Related Classification
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.mreligion.com All Rights Reserved