Caivano: A man handed a bullet wrapped in a handkerchief to well-known anti-Mafia priest, Maurizio Patriciello, during Sunday Mass, Italian media reported on Monday. Authorities have arrested a 75-year-old suspect in connection with the incident in Caivano, a city near Naples, which is a stronghold of the Camorra crime syndicate. The man received communion before presenting the bullet to the priest, Italian media said.
According to Ghana News Agency, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi ordered enhanced security measures for Patriciello, who has long been outspoken against the Mafia, and frequently receives threats. Political leaders, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella, also condemned the threat. The interior minister told the newspaper Il Mattino that he planned to visit the priest in Caivano, to show him that he ‘has the support and solidarity of the state and all decent people.’
Patriciello described the episode as a ‘terrible moment.’ Speaking to Quotidiano Nazionale newspaper, he said he knew the man, who often attends Mass, and identified him as the father-in-law of a local Camorra boss. ‘A provocation, a message. But in the church, during Mass, in front of the children. This is really too much,’ Patriciello said.