Father Giuseppe Diana
25th Anniversary of His Death

In the mid-1980s, Father Giuseppe Diana set up a welcome center for African immigrants in Campania to stop them from being recruited by the Camorra (an Italian Mafia-type criminal organization and criminal society originating in the region in a direct challenge to their business practices.) On Christmas 1991, he published a letter urging his parishioners to shun the Camorra. The letter entitled "For the love of my people I will not stay silent", called on the church to resist the Camorra's rule, which he called "a form of terrorism". In 1994 he testified in an investigation of ties linking the Camorra, politicians and businessmen after the Government's decision to suspend the local council in Casal Di Principe because of its links to the Camorra. He had threatened to stop administering sacraments to camorrists, refusing to marry them. He also sided with the newly elected mayor of Casal di Principe, who was trying to prevent firms connected to the Camorra from tendering for public contracts. On 19 March 1994, he was shot twice in the head in the Church of San Nicola di Bari in the town of Casal di Principe while preparing to offer a Mass for the feast of Saint Joseph. Artist Marco Ventura deigned a miniature sheet with six €1,10 stamps commemorating the 25th anniversary of the death of Father Diana (1958-1994). The letter title "For the love of my people, I will not stay silent" appears in Italian on the left side of the miniature sheet. Technical Details: Scott Catalogue - 1712 - 1712M Date Issued - 19 March 2019 Face Value - €1,10 Perforations - 13.25x13.25 Printing Process - Offset Printer - Cartor (France) Max Printed - 120,000

(Source - Vatican Notes: Volume: 67 Issue: 380 Page: 4-7 en.wikipedia.org)