John Paul II described the judge as a “martyr of justice and, indirectly, of the Christian faith " on 9 May 1993 during his visit to Sicily, after meeting the judge's parents. In November 2019 Pope Francis said he was “an example not only for the magistrates, but [also] for all those who work in the field of law.”
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Francis has authorised the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to issue a decree recognising the martyrdom of Rosario Angelo Livatino, the Vatican Press Office announced today.
Known as the “boy judge”, Rosario Angelo Livatino was an Italian magistrate who was murdered by the mafia "in hatred of the faith” on 21 September 1990.
Judge Livatino was an exemplary believer and judge. Born in Canicattì, Sicily, on 3 October 1953, he passed his exams to become a judge in 1978. In his agenda, he wrote: “Today I took an oath: From today I am in the judiciary. May God accompany me and help me respect my oath and behave in the way that the education my parents gave me requires.”
"Justice is necessary but not sufficient,” he said at a conference held on 30 April 1986. It “can and must be exceeded by the law of charity which is the law of love for one's neighbour and for God; towards one's neighbour as an image of God, i.e. in no way reduced to mere human solidarity” because “the law, despite its objective identity and autonomous aim, is made for man and not man for the law.”
As a prosecutor, he rigorously carried out sensitive investigations into the mafia and corruption involving politicians, including a minister.
On the morning of Friday, 21 September 1990, Judge Livatino was driving his Ford Fiesta on his way to court, without bodyguards, when his car was intercepted by four hitmen who shot him dead. The instigators and the assassins were later caught and convicted.
On 9 May 1993, Pope John Paul II described him as a “martyr of justice and, indirectly, of the Christian faith” during his visit to Sicily, after meeting the judge's parents.
Speaking in November 2019, Pope Francis said that Livatino was “an example not only for the magistrates, but [also] for all those who work in the field of law: for the consistency between his faith and his commitment to work, and for the relevance of his reflections.”