A church nativity scene in Italy featuring two mothers of baby Jesus instead of statues of Mary and Joseph has been blasted as “dangerous” and “blasphemous” by conservatives – who have called for the statue to be taken down.
Father Vitaliano Della Sala defended the nativity scene displayed in the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, in Capocastello di Mercogliano outside Naples.
“I wanted to show with this scene that the family is no longer just a traditional one,” Della Sala told Reuters.
“In our parish, we see more children from new types of families that exist and become part of our society, children of separated and divorced people, gay couples, single people, young mothers.”
But an online petition by Pro-Vita & Famiglia, a pro-life group, called on the bishop in the province of Avellino to intervene as it argued that the scene legitimizes same-sex parenting and surrogacy,
The group called it “dangerous, as well as embarrassing and blasphemous.”
The petition has garnered more than 21,000 signatures in the predominantly Catholic country, where nativity scenes are increasingly caught up in the culture wars as society grows more secular.
Father Vitaliano Della Sala said he wanted to showcase a non-traditional family in a Christmas display. REUTERS/Ciro De Luca
A petition with 21,000 signatures urged the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Capocastello di Mercogliano to take down the display. REUTERS/Ciro De Luca
Senator Maurizio Gasparri of the co-ruling party Forza Italia said the nativity scene “offends all those who always respect and are devoted to the Holy Family.”
But Della Sala, who is known for his sympathy for LGBT issues and is left-leaning, said his stance was in line with Pope Francis, who in a landmark decision last week allowed priests to bless same-sex couples.
The firestorm surrounding the scene comes as a senator from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party has proposed another bill that would prevent school officials from banning Catholic-themed activities such as Christmas plays or nativity scenes.
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
