Over 5000 families helped by the San Giuseppe Moscati Foundation

In Naples, in via San Sebastiano 48, the activity of the San Giuseppe Moscati anti-usury foundation has now resumed after the summer break. This organisation was established in 1991 thanks to the commitment of Fr Massimo Rastrelli, parish priest at the Gesù Nuovo in Naples. Listening to the many sufferings of his people instilled within him the need to raise the awareness of the parish community, then to the determination to field an adequate response to this sad phenomenon.

Thus, by obtaining financial help from banks, by applying for state funding and through charity, the Foundation now has a rotary fund of 12 million euros, 10 million for prevention and over 2 million for battling usury.

“The pandemic has highlighted what had already existed for some time”  president Amedeo Scaramella, President of the Foundation explains, “through the loss of jobs and the closure of commercial establishments, this bubble has been inflated. It is unconceivable what difficulties people found themselves in until a few years ago.”   First time poor people, single-income families who were discharged from work or ending up unemployed and without any aid from the state, are among those most exposed to the risk of falling into the hands of loan sharks.

On Tuesdays, volunteers receive candidates, listen to their need and carry out discreet checks. The next day, a committee examines the case and submits a recommendation to the Board of Directors. The Council meets on Thursdays and decides whether to support the loan application and decides also on the loan amount to be granted.

One must keep in mind the order of request and its urgency, the number of family members, the gravity of the reason for indebtedness, the individual’s sense of responsibility, the assessment of the debt situation, the capacity of loan repayment taking into account that irregular income, salaries and / or pensions are directed towards the repayment of the usury. "We involve the family" Scaramella explains, " in order to address the case to a family member who has a minimum income willing to help the relative in difficulty.”

Over 100 banking, financial and legal professionals work and collaborate within the Foundation.  They are all volunteers who give their service free of charge.

No less than two and a half million euros are paid each year without any obligation to report those who overcharge loan interest. The commitment of Fr. Rastrelli was instrumental in the promulgation of the law on the prevention of usury. The Jesuit died in 2018, but his work continues and grows.

Today there are 31 "centres" in Italy, each with its own legal status, represented by a "National Council". More than 5 thousand families, out of 12 thousand applications, are given assistance by the centre of Naples, which is strongly involved in education and prevention activities. The Foundation is part of the Jesuit Social Network which since 2004 has established a network of the 39 social activities promoted by the Society of Jesus in Italy.