“In The Godfather, Vito Corleone famously told his son to make his rivals ‘an offer they can’t refuse.’ It was an understated direction for the gangsters to use force to get their own way.
“Speaking at a prayer service for victims of organized crime, Pope Francis made the mobsters an offer they can refuse: Hell. After comforting family members who are victims of mob violence, Pope Francis spoke forthrightly to the criminals: ‘This life that you live now won’t give you pleasure. It won’t give you joy or happiness. Blood-stained money, blood-stained power, you can’t bring it with you to your next life. Repent. There’s still time to not end up in hell, which is what awaits you if you continue on this path.’
“The clear clarion call of the Christian message is that hell can be avoided. It’s an offer that can be refused. Refusing the path to hell and choosing the path to heaven is the choice at the heart of the call to repent.”
In a recent commentary, Father Dwight Longenecker (parish priest at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, Greenville, SC) reflected on Pope Francis’ call to repentance – a call extended to each of us.
To access Fr. Longenecker’s complete post, please visit:
Aleteia: The Pope and the Mobsters (26 MAR 14)
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