Dieci Ordini della Mafia Italiana

Recently the Polizia Italiana arrested the suspected Capo di tuti capi of the Mafia Siciliana, Salvatore Lo Piccolo. According to new reports they found a paper with what has been dubbed the Mafia's 10 Commandments. Unlike the American branch of the Mafia, the Italian Cosa Nostra has stayed more faithful to its interior rules of honor that are embodied in this list.

Unlike the 10 Commandmends we find in the Bible, I highly doubt these were written by the finger of God. But, someone who breaks them may find himself on the fast track to standing before God for breaking the Biblical ones.

Dieci Ordini della Mafia Italiana

1. No one can present himself directly to another of our friends. There must be a third person to do it.

2. Never look at the wives of friends.

3. Never be seen with cops.

4. Don't go to pubs and clubs.

5. Always being available for Cosa Nostra is a duty - even if your wife's about to give birth.

6. Appointments must absolutely be respected.

7. Wives must be treated with respect.

8. When asked for any information, the answer must be the truth.

9. Money cannot be appropriated if it belongs to others or to other families.

10. People who can't be part of Cosa Nostra: anyone who has a close relative in the police, anyone with a two-timing relative in the family, anyone who behaves badly and doesn't hold to moral values.

It has always struck me as more than a little ironic that a group that sees themselves as "Men of Honor" does so many dishonorable things. & this list is a good example of that reality.

I will admit that over the years the Mafia has both fascinated & repulsed me at the same time. The Sicialian Mafia, Calabrian 'Ndrangheta, Apulian Sacra Corona Unita & Neapolitan Camorra make up 1 of the dark spots in my Italiano heritage. They were the result of other evils done. But, that can never justify most of the things they have done over the years. & even when they did do the right thing, for the right reasons, the rest of their actions left even the good tainted in a way that should never have been.

When Papa Benedetto was in Naples on 21 October 2007 he had exactly the right cure for the problems of the bane of organized crime. He talked about it in the homily he gave that day. 1st of all he pulled on punches about the Camorra & their corrosive effect: "Then there is the sad phenomenon of violence. It is not only a question of the deplorable crimes of the Camorra but also of the fact that violence unfortunately tends to breed a widespread mentality, creeping into the recesses of social life in the historical districts of the centre and in the new and anonymous suburbs, with the risk of attracting especially young people who grow up in contexts where unlawfulness, the "black economy" and the culture of "fending for oneself" thrive."

The Prescription for the cure: "Let us pray to the Lord that he will cause an authentic faith and firm hope to grow in the Christian community that can effectively oppose discouragement and violence. Naples certainly needs appropriate political interventions, but first it needs a profound spiritual renewal; it needs believers who put their full trust back in God and with his help work hard to spread Gospel values in society. Let us ask Mary's help with this, as well as that of your holy Protectors, especially St Januarius. Amen " (emphasis mine)