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 25th Anniversary of the Death of Father Giuseppe Diana Scott 1712 (2019) On March 19, 2019, Vatican City issued a stamp and minisheet memorializing the 25th anniversary of the murder of Father Giuseppe Diana. This was the second of two stamps issued to honor 20th century martyrs, the first being a stamp issued for Don Pino Puglisi in 2018 (Scott 1673/1673M). Born on July 4, 1958, Giuseppe Diana was ordained in 1989 and was assigned as a parish priest in his hometown of Casal di Principe, in the Campania region of Italy. His defining work was to establish a welcome center for African immigrants coming to the region. The reason for this was to prevent them from being recruited by the Camorra, a criminal enterprise based in Naples, the capital of Campania. This move was in direct opposition to the business practices of the Camorra. In 1991, he published a letter entitled For the love of my people I will not stay silent, which called on the church to resist the practices of the Camorra. He stated the actions of the clans have: "...left our region with no potential for development…(and) has created gangs of marginalized youth and unskilled workers at the beck and call of criminal organizations".In early 1994, he testified in an investigation which linked the Camorra to local politicians and businessmen. The government suspended the local council in Casal Di Principe because of its links to the Camorra. Father Diana threatened to stop administering the sacraments to camorristi. He also sided with the newly elected mayor of Casal di Principe, who was trying to prevent firms connected to the Camorra from receiving public contracts. On March 19, 1994, Father Peppino, as he was affectionately called by his parishioners, was shot twice in the head in the Church of San Nicola di Bari as he prepared to offer Mass on the feast of Saint Joseph. He was 35 years old. The legacy of Father Diana lives on in his writings, as well as those of his contemporaries. On March 20, 2014, twenty years following his assassination, Pope Francis gave a speech urging the mafia to change their ways and repent, and he threatened them with excommunication. After the speech, he donned a priestly ceremonial garment once worn by Father Diana.  Father Giuseppe Diana Minisheet Scott 1712M (2019) |
