Pope Francis faces Mafia threat, Vatican unfazed

THE VATICAN CITY: The Vatican has ignored the threat that Pope Francis could be targeted by the mafia because of his reforms to Holy See financial bodies. "There is no reason for concern, and there is no need to feed alarmism," Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said.

He added that the Vatican — and, by extension, the pope — was "extremely calm" regarding the alleged threat.

Nicola Gratteri, a respected state prosecutor in the southern Calabria region, had raised an alarm stating that the vicious local mafia, the Ndrangheta, is "nervous" the pope is threatening its interests.

"Those who up to now have fed off the power and wealth coming directly from the Church are nervous, upset," he said in an interview published by the newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano this week. The pope, Gratteri said, "is dismantling the Vatican's economic centres.

If the mafia bosses can trip him up, they won't hesitate."

Gratteri didn't substantiate his warning. But his words reverberated through the Italian and foreign media, sparking fears for the pontiff's safety. Initially the Vatican tried to dismiss the allegation. But on Thursday it started saying it was simply taking the warning in its stride.