Pope Francis spoke out against mafia organizations exploiting and enslaving people, and called on mafiosi today (May 26, 2013) to repent, the Reuters website reports.
Speaking off-the-cuff -- after his weekly Angelus blessing in St. Peter's Square -- Francis spoke about the mafia for the first time since he became pontiff two months ago.
High profile killings by the Italian mafia have declined since the 1990s, but through illegal activities -- such as prostitution, extortion, and drug trafficking -- they still wield a heavy influence over Italy and its economy.
Italy's main crime groups -- the Sicilian Cosa Nostra, the Calabrian 'Ndrangheta, and the Camorra from around the southern city of Naples -- have a joint annual turnover of 116 billion euros ($150 billion), according to the United Nations.
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