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This Happened

This Happened - March 13: Pope Francis Is Elected

Pope Francis was elected on this day in 2013, becoming the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church, after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.


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What is Pope Francis known for?

He is known for his progressive views on social and economic issues, as well as his efforts to promote interfaith dialogue and environmental stewardship. He has also been vocal in his criticism of corruption and inequality. Pope Francis' real name is Jorge Mario Bergoglio and was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1936.

How has Pope Francis impacted the Catholic Church?

Pope Francis has made a number of significant changes to the Catholic Church since his election, including efforts to reform the Vatican bureaucracy, promote greater transparency, and encourage more inclusivity and diversity within the church. He has also made significant efforts to address issues of sexual abuse within the church.

What are some of Pope Francis' most notable achievements?

Some of Pope Francis' most notable achievements include the publication of his encyclical on environmental stewardship, Laudato Si', and his efforts to promote interfaith dialogue, including his historic meeting with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar in 2019.

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Society

A New Calabrian Mob Alliance Sparks Shocking Violence — And More Women Victims

United to colonize the region’s north, two allied mob families from Calabria's 'Ndrangheta crime syndicate have resumed methods to establish themselves that have been abandoned for years. The result is as bloody as the Italian mob has been in memory.

Armed Italian Carabinieri and their vehicule by the side of the road at San Luca

Italian Carabinieri involved in the arrest of 'Ndrangheta mob members

Giuseppe Legato

CASSANO ALL’IONIO — Here in the northern reaches of Calabria, a new mob alliance is combining the old ‘ndrangheta and nomadic criminality that is distinguishing itself by its ferocity.

The ‘ndrina Abruzzese and the ‘ndrina Forastefano, two opposing coschemob families), who had been at war with each other in the early 2000s, have now allied to take over what remains of northern Calabria up to the border with the Basilicata region.

The 44 kilometers of Calabrian coastline between the towns of Villapiana and Rossano are bloodied by a war that hardly anyone talks about, and yet is still fresh.

Cruel, cynical, archaic, harsh: this new hybrid Calabrian mob is back to shooting people in the streets, and it doesn’t spare women. In one year, two have died, bringing the number of victims in the past 24 months to 15.

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