A Catholic priest in Italy was handed a poisoned chalice while leading mass — and narrowly avoided drinking it — at Mass after he spoke out against the Mafia in his small town.
Father Felice Palamara — who is known for bravely denouncing organized crime — noticed the smell of bleach coming from the chalices during a mass Saturday in Cessaniti in the southern region of Calabria, where the powerful ‘Ndrangheta mafia network originated.
Palamara suspected something was wrong and immediately suspended the service and called the Carabinieri.
The Italian police later determined Palamara’s chalices of water and wine had been laced with bleach.
The priest believes the attempt to poison him was ‘Ndrangheta’s retaliation for his denunciation of the group.
“I’m sure that this act of intimidation has nothing to do with my parishioners because I have been here for 10 years and I have always had good relations with the people of the parish,” Palamara told the Corriere della Sera newspaper.
“We don’t allow anyone to do harm to the parish. Nobody can stop a town that deserves redemption and that wants to grow,” he added.
The ‘Ndrangheta, believed to be the world’s richest organized crime group, has made tens of billions of dollars from trafficking cocaine over several decades, and recently has been able to expand its reach across Europe as the Sicilian Mafia lost its influence.
Father Palamara has been the target of numerous death threats. His car has also been vandalized twice in recent months, he told local media.
The priest, who now has a police escort, wrote on social media: “My revenge is called love, my shield forgiveness, my armor mercy. I will not dwell on obstacles, nor will I be frightened by the darkness.”
Other priests in the town have also been threatened, including Father Francesco Pontoriero, who has received death threats and found a dead cat on the bonnet of his car.
In August of last year, the local town council was dissolved over concerns the mafia had infiltrated its ranks, a common measure taken especially in Italy’s south, where mafia influence has held strong.
With Post wires.