Rome
Convicted Mafia boss Benedetto Marciante turned himself in to police last week after hearing a televised speech by Pope John Paul II. Marciante, who had been on the run from the law since September, after receiving a 30-year sentence for murder, said the pope’s words about the importance of family touched his heart. Just a few hours after the speech, he knocked on the gates of a Roman prison. “I’ve realized that I have made many mistakes in my life,” he told the guards. “So here I am.” Marciante is not the first Mafioso the pope has transformed. Top Cosa Nostra strongman Nino Guiffre gave himself up last June on the day the pope beatified Padre Pio, an Italian priest.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
June 29 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday's political cartoons include the AI genie, Iran saving face, and bad language bombs
-
A tall ship adventure in the MediterraneanThe Week Recommends Sailing aboard this schooner and exploring Portugal, Spain and Monaco is a 'magical' experience
-
How drone warfare worksThe Explainer From Ukraine to Iran, it has become clear that unmanned aircraft are rapidly revolutionising modern warfare
