The Murder of Catholic Priest Don Roberto Malgesini in Italy

Hat tip Pagadian Diocese.com

Como

 Yesterday, we reported on the stabbing murder of a well-known Catholic priest in Como, Italy. A Tunisian migrant has been charged with the crime after turning himself into the local Carabinieri and confessing to the murder while showing no remorse.  The suspect, Ridha Mahmoudi, 53, is an illegal immigrant in Italy with a history of petty crimes and was under an order of deportation.

Malgesini was well-known in Italy as an advocate for the poor, the homeless, and illegal migrants. An obviously well-intentioned man, his daily routine consisted of feeding the homeless and taking them to the hospital when needed. He had actually been fined by the city for violating regulations regarding people in the country illegally. Nevertheless, he was allegedly murdered by one of those he was trying to help.

Today, it is reported that Mahmoudi has retracted his confession. He originally reportedly told police that Malgesini "died like a dog". (His throat was reportedly slashed, and he was stabbed multiple times.)

I have to take issue with the position of the Catholic Church on this incident. Of course, they are in grief, but there is just a bit too much Christian charity being extended to the accused killer in this case. Here is what the head of the Christian charity, Caritas, is quoted as saying.

"Roberto Bernasconi, president of the Como section of pro-migrant Catholic charity Caritas, blamed the “tragedy” on the anti-migrant “climate of hatred and intolerance that is fomented in the city.”

Today, the police are refuting the statements of local Catholic officials in Como that the suspect was mentally ill, which is the default position on these kinds of murders committed by Muslim migrants all over Western Europe.

Mentally ill or not, the Catholic Church under Pope Francis is missing a critical point. While they may seek to forgive this particular murderer, Francis' public position on welcoming migrants is causing the deaths of many Europeans at the hands of these migrants. How many murders, robberies, rapes, riots and terrorist acts have been attributed to these mostly young males from the Middle East, North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, Afghanistan, Somalia and other places? Are they to be forgiven too, written off as mentally-ill unfortunates who need our help? Pope Francis, of course, doesn't make policy. That is the failure of those who do, the Italian government, the EU, and other Western European governments. But as a moral leader, Francis carries much weight in his position as Pontiff. His own statement on the death of Malgesini went right back to referring to "the poorest". Has he forgotten that even the poorest do not normally commit murder?

This is just one more case of a victim being sacrificed on the altar of a misguided immigration policy, one that is being pushed by Pope Francis and implemented by the politicians in Europe. At the risk of sounding like I am criticizing Malgesini, clearly a decent and compassionate  man, it must be said that if the Catholic Church wants to put its own priests at risk over this migrant issue, that is one thing. However, the Church has no right to put the rest of the population at risk in the process.