Honouring a priest shot at point-blank range by the mafia, Pope Francis insisted that true happiness and a real change in Sicilian society will come only when people love and care for one another rather than trying to grab as much money and power as they can.

"Having always leads to wanting. I have something and immediately want another and another without end. The more you have the more you want. It's a horrible addiction," Pope Francis said, celebrating Mass in Palermo.

"On the other hand, one who loves finds himself and discovers how beautiful it is to help others has joy on the inside and a smile on the outside, just like Fr Pino."