Italian Archbishop Calls for 10-year Ban on Godparents to Stop Mafia Infiltration

By Josephine McKenna, Religion News Service
Drawing of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome. Image courtesy Yoko Design/shutterstoc
Drawing of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome. Image courtesy Yoko Design/shutterstock.com
Jul 3, 2014
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After a pledge by Pope Francis to “excommunicate” mobsters from the Catholic Church, an archbishop in southern Italy has proposed a 10-year ban on naming godparents at baptisms and confirmations as a way to stop the Mafia from spreading its influence.

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An image of the November 2026 issue of Sojourners, titled "Face to Face." It features George Lakey on the cover
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Drawing of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome. Image courtesy Yoko Design/shutterstock.com