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Retired Cardinal Salvatore Pappalardo, of Palermo, Sicily, the Italian Church's strongest voice against the Mafia for 26 years, died Dec. 1. He was 88. In a Dec. 11 telegram to the archdiocese, Pope Benedict XVI praised the cardinal as a "zealous and generous pastor" who tried to promote the "moral and cultural growth of Palermo's society." Cardinal Pappalardo often was called on to preside over the funerals of the innocent victims of Mafia violence. The funerals as well as interviews, pastoral letters and public appearances became occasions for the cardinal not only to condemn Mafia involvement, but also to urge Sicilians to reclaim control over their social, political and economic lives.
