In Italy, openly gay and devoutly Catholic anti-corruption politician Rosario Crocetta was recently elected to govern conservative Sicily: "I will demonstrate that this region can be the most liberal in Europe." The Mafia's tried to kill him three times, so far. [Reuters]

  • Boundegar

    I bet he’s really from Kenya.

  • http://www.facebook.com/afreet Dan Burton

    Someone please educate me.  How is it possible to be both openly gay and devoutly Catholic?

    • That_Anonymous_Coward

      You start by ignoring the leaders of the church and read the words “written” by god.
      You make your peace with people ignoring the words in the book and passing judgement twisting the words to support their position.
      You only need to answer to god, not some old man dressed in leftovers from Liberace’s closet.

      • Boundegar

        Technically, that’s called a Protestant.

        • wysinwyg

           You don’t know very many Catholics, do you?

      • Antinous / Moderator

        I’ve been in Liberace’s closet.  The clothes were gone, but the round sofa thing was still there.  Seems like there was a lot of zebra skin, too.

        • That_Anonymous_Coward

          And thankfully you found your way back out.  :D

    • rhodian

      He’s not exactly alone in this.  Here are a couple of links to and about James Alison:  http://www.jamesalison.co.uk/
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Alison

    • Antinous / Moderator

      Many devout Catholics are openly gay, pro-contraception, pro-choice, pro-euthanasia, support women priests, etc. The Catholic Church dropped the ball on social control a couple of decades ago. Did you know that Italy ranks 209 out of 222 countries for birth rate?

  • gypsyspacemuffin

    I think the real question here is: Only three times?

    • That_Anonymous_Coward

      and the follow up of are you sure its the Mafia and not the church?

      • http://www.youtube.com/user/Freethinkersanon Christopher

        Why would the church go to the trouble of trying to assassinate him when, for a devout Catholic, excommunication is a fate worse than death?

        • That_Anonymous_Coward

          He is openly gay and anticorruption, he is like a nightmare for them.
          To excommunicate him would draw way more attention when a well placed bullet.

      • LinkMan

         There’s a difference?

        • That_Anonymous_Coward

          The Maffia wears Armani, the Catholic leaders wear things purchased at a drag queen yard sale.

          • Boundegar

            You really don’t like Catholic vestments, do you?  They’re not masculine enough for you?

          • That_Anonymous_Coward

            The fail to follow the rules, they put on the hat and still walk in straight lines!

            That and I think there is something disgusting about a group massing wealth and not using it to actually help the poor and starving unless they convert.  Well that and covering up the rape of children… and a multitude of other sins.

          • Antinous / Moderator

            The church leaders probably wear Armani, too. He designs all kinds of things like police uniforms.

      • info

        Are you sure there is any difference? You don’t know Italy very much, it seems…

  • Preston Sturges

    It’s alleged Sicily fell under the control of the Mafia because Lucky Luciano cut a deal with Ike to get out of federal prison in return for making the Mafia the Resistance against the Nazi occupiers.  After the war, the US was happy to have the Mafia push out the Communists. 

    http://www.timnewark.com/books/lucky-luciano.shtml

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001453923525 Luca Lucakiss Calabrese

    Mussolini got rid of the Mafia in Sicily, there’s one for ya.

    • JontKopeck

       ..and a fine job he did of it too.