Caivano – It wasn't the darkness of fear, but the light of torches that illuminated the streets of Caivano's Parco Verde this evening. A silent and determined river of about a thousand people responded to Father Maurizio Patriciello's call, marching with the statue of Our Lady of Fatima in a collective embrace of faith and defiance, two weeks after the intimidating act that shook the community: the handing of a bullet to the priest, directly during Sunday children's mass.
A Procession of Institutions and Citizens
Leading the torchlight procession was a strong signal of unity. Alongside Don Patriciello, the face of the fight for legality in the lands oppressed by the Camorra, walked the highest civil and religious authorities: the Bishop of Aversa, Angelo Spinillo, the Prefect of Naples, Michele di Bari, and the Special Commissioner of the Municipality of Caivano, Filippo Dispenza.
A concerted presence that demonstrated that the State has not retreated here. Also present at the Eucharistic celebration that preceded the march was Green Party MP Francesco Emilio Borrelli.
Father Patriciello's shocking appeal: "Vittorio, tell me who sent you."
From the churchyard, Don Patriciello's voice broke through the wall of silence.
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“We all love Vittorio,” he added, in a passage that blends firm denunciation with Christian compassion, also recalling the 'stesa' (the act of forced submission) the man had suffered the previous evening, which he defined as “a wicked act.”
"The State Hasn't Left Here": The Challenge to the Camorra
The final message was a clear warning, addressed both to the institutions and to the accomplices and exploited by the criminal system. "The State has not gone away here," thundered Don Patriciello, rousing applause. His final words drew a clear line: "We ask for help to those who find themselves in illegality unintentionally, and certainly not to those who commit crimes by choice." A crucial distinction that calls for revitalization of those forced into the grip of crime, isolating and ruthlessly combating those who, instead, act out of choice and calculation.
The Caivano torchlight procession wasn't just a religious ritual. It became a powerful symbol of civil resistance, a collective act to wrest the suburbs from the shadow of mafia control. Each torch lit was a promise: that fear will not have the last word, and that the answer to violence will not be silence, but a tenacious light calling for justice.
Comments (1)
The Caivano event was a powerful demonstration of unity among people, but also a call for truth. Father Patriciello spoke with great passion, and I believe it's important not to ignore these signals coming from the community.