Romain Rouillard / Photo credit: RICCARDO MILANI / HANS LUCAS / HANS LUCAS VIA AFP
The outcome could have been tragic for Felice Palamara. This priest from the Calabrian parish of Pannaconi, Italy, came close to being poisoned while giving mass this Saturday, February 24, reports Corriere della Sera. When celebrating the Eucharist, the religious notices a suspicious odor coming from the wine he is about to put to his lips. And for good reason, the cup contained not wine and water, but wine and bleach, according to analyzes carried out subsequently.
A dead cat left on the roof of a priest’s car
Suffering from heart disease and asthma, Felice Palamara could have lost her life. When it was time to drink the toxic liquid, he preferred to put an end to the celebration, telling the faithful that he was not feeling well. It now remains to be seen who is angry with this priest, who has already been the victim of intimidation in the past. Anonymous letters containing death threats were sent to him and his car, parked near the church, was vandalized. “I am sure that this latest intimidation does not come from my parishioners. I have lived in Pannaconi for ten years and I have always had a relationship of love and mutual affection with the local population,” assures the person concerned to the Corriere.
Several other members of the clergy practicing in the region have also received thinly veiled threats. The corpse of a cat was thus placed on the roof of a priest’s vehicle, in the neighboring town of Cessaniti. Police are currently examining CCTV footage to try to identify those responsible.
A tense local context
If it is impossible, for the moment, to formally name one or more culprits, it should be noted that this intimidation takes place in a tense context around the local mafia. The mayor of Pannaconi was forced to resign last August due to possible mafia influences within the city administration. Initial hypotheses thus point to possible revenge against the priests and parish priests who had publicly called for respect for the law. In the meantime, Felice Palamara was placed under police protection, 24 hours a day.
Last November, more than 200 people were sentenced to sentences of up to 30 years in prison following a “maxi trial” against the ‘Ndrangheta, the all-powerful Calabrian mafia, present in around forty countries, and not hesitating to infiltrate and corrupt administrations to control the population. “My revenge is called love, my shield is forgiveness, my armor is mercy. I am calm, even if I hope that justice will be able to shed light on these criminal episodes,” said Felice Palamara.