Pope Benedict XVI lashed out against organized crime on Sunday, condemning the Mafia as inhuman and vicious.

The pontiff visited southern Italy's Calabria region, which is headquarters to the Ndrangheta organized crime family. Calabria is also one of Italy's poorest regions, plagued by high unemployment, especially among young people.

Pope Benedict called on the people of Calabria to come together and resist the Mafia by caring for each other and embracing Christianity. He said crime bosses cannot be allowed to grow stronger and illegally take over industry.

The mayor of the Calabrian city of Lamezia Terme joined the pope in appealing to young people not to let themselves be taken in by organized crime, saying “enough with the Mafia.”