A Catholic priest in Italy sparked controversy last Sunday when he celebrated a topless service at sea and used an inflatable mattress as an altar.
He condemned the priest in a press release published on the website of the Archdiocese of Crotone in southern Italy, where the liturgy is celebrated.
The celebration of the Eucharist has a specific language, it is done with gestures and symbols that are right to be respected and valued. It should not be abandoned so superficially,” he wrote. “It is necessary to maintain this minimum of decency and attention to symbols,” he insisted.
Due to the heatwave hitting the peninsula and the lack of shade, Archbishop Mattia Bernasconi decided to celebrate the mass in Mediterranean waters. The religious celebration concluded with the activities of a youth camp for volunteers belonging to Libera, the anti-mafia association that manages the lands confiscated from the mafia.
The unusual event was filmed and broadcast by various media outlets. In the images, it is possible to see a group of people with the priest topless, in front of his makeshift altar, and dressed in bathing suits.
On Wednesday, Archbishop Mattia published a letter to the archdiocese, in which he declared that he did not want to trivialize the Eucharist or manipulate it to send some kind of message.
“It was an audience that completed a week’s work with young people attending the camp,” he wrote.
“The symbols are strong, accurate, and eloquent (…) There was a certain naivety in not giving them due weight,” he admitted. “I sincerely apologize from the bottom of my heart for the confusion caused by the images that were released to the press,” he said.
Crotone’s prosecution opened an investigation for “offending a religious institution”.
A deputy expressed his solidarity with the priest and thanked him for “bringing Christian values to the beaches”.
source: Noticias
[author_name]
