A nativity scene in a church with two women representing the mothers of the baby Jesus, rather than the usual figures of Mary and Joseph, has drawn the ire of conservative Catholics and politicians in Italy.
Nativity scenes are popular in this largely religious country, but they have become increasingly embroiled in culture wars in recent years as society becomes more secular and multicultural.
For the priest of the church of Saints Peter and Paul in the village of Capocastello di Mercogliano in the province of Avellino, east of Naples, the church's nativity scene preserves a representation of the birth of Jesus.
“With this scene I wanted to show that families are no longer traditional. In our parishes, we see more children as a result of new types of families that are part of our society, children of separated and divorced people, children of homosexuals. Couples, single people and young mothers”, Vitaliano Della Sala declared.
The priest, known in Italy for his sympathy for LGBT and left-wing causes, said his approach was consistent with that of Pope Francis, who last week, in a historic decision, allowed priests to bless the same couples. Sex.
But for Senator Maurizio Gasparri of the Forza Italia party, the LGBT entertainment of the Nativity scene “offends all those who have always had respect and devotion to the Holy Family.”
In addition, Pro-Vita & Famiglia (Pro-Life and Family, in free translation), an organization that rejects abortion or euthanasia, launched a petition calling the representation “dangerous, shameful and blasphemous”. reality Avelino appealed to the bishop to intervene because, he argues, the nativity scene contradicts the Church's teachings on the family and legitimizes same-sex parenthood and surrogacy. To date, more than 21 thousand people have signed the document.
In Italy, surrogacy is illegal and parliament is debating government-proposed legislation that would criminalize Italian couples who seek the practice abroad.
This week, senators from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy party proposed another bill that would prevent school principals from suspending Catholic-themed activities such as Christmas plays or the production of nativity scenes.
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