The Curia of Palermo prohibits a prayer vigil for the victims of homophobia, scheduled May 12 in the parish of Saint Lucia. An event organized by "Ali D'Aquila", a group of gay and lesbian Christians, during celebrations for the Pride Palermo 1, and that could count on the support of the parish priest, Don Luigi Consonni. The religious, a Comboni missionary, however, came from a stop: the archbishop of Palermo, Paolo Romeo, and Auxiliary Bishop Carmelo Cuttitta, they've ordered to withdraw the authorization for the use of the premises of the parish. A ban that was inspired by the principles contained in the Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the pastoral care of homosexual persons, 1 October 1986, signed by the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, and providing "pastoral care" of homosexuals, with the ' assistance of physicians and psychologists.
The vigil, which commemorates the victims of homophobia in Italy and around the world, is not the first of its kind in Palermo: there were at least four more from 2007. The novelty, compared to other years, which is that of May 12 had been included in the calendar of events related to the Palermo Pride, the event organized to defend the rights of LGBT people and culminating in the parade through the streets of the historic center, 21 May. An association that the Curia has obviously not acceptable and that he wanted to reject the ban. In addition to the group of gay Christians Ali D'Aquila, the prayer service was also organized by the community of St. Francesco Saverio all'Albergheria, the Waldensian Church of La Spezia, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church.
"The church had given us the premises - the organizers explain Ali D'Aquila, a group born in 2009 - and frankly we are sad and outraged by this veto, which were communicated to us by Don Luigi Consonni, and even the archbishop. With our prayer we wanted to remember those who suffer because of homophobic prejudice. " Don Luigi Consonni, who arrived in the church of Saint Lucia in September last year, wanted to inform his congregation of the ban by publishing a brief note on the parish website: "The Curia of Palermo, became aware of the initiative, I urged to fully respect the rules of the Holy See paragraph 17 of document Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons, 1 / 10/1986. Then I was asked to cancel the prayer meeting of day 12 pv in the parish of Saint Lucia.
A document, which appeals to the Curia of Palermo, which, for gay people, even medical assistance and psychological, as required by the then prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. Moreover, even in other locations - the United Nations - the Vatican has stood for not wanting to vote in favor of decriminalization of the crime of homosexuality, while the Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Holy See's representative to the UN, has recently expressed against the "victimization" of homosexuals, in defense of the right to "criticize unions between same sex."
Paola Concia, lesbian parliamentarian of the Democratic Party, meanwhile, asks to be able to immediately meet with the archbishop of Palermo: "His gesture is bad, inhuman. This ban is offensive to many Catholics who are homosexuals. I want to meet him and I want you to explain, looking into my eyes, because he wants to ban a wake whose purpose is, among other things, to remember those who died because of homophobia. I do not want to believe that the church hierarchy have been reduced to this. Why do not you think the true message of Jesus and the Gospel? ". Duro also the comment of Arcigay, which, of course, had encouraged and supported this moment of prayer: "We are shocked and saddened. It 's a veto to remove the suffering of innocent victims, of the same weaknesses that the Cardinal and the Church say vowed to defend without distinction. The prohibition is also an act of aggression, in its complicity with those who spread hatred and homophobia, "says Daniela Tomassino Arcigay president and spokesman for the Palermo Palermo Pride. "Banning a prayer for the victims of homophobia is just the latest of the insults that hierarchies turn to gay, lesbian and trans Italian, Paolo Patanè attacks, national president of Arcigay, which says:" The Church with which this act want to silence the victims of a daily horror show, once again, of being an accomplice and a major sponsor of aversion to the dignity of millions of people. "
Ali D'Aquila The group has however decided that, in agreement with the other movements that have joined the initiative, however, held vigils, presumably in front of the church, at 21 the same day: "We will continue to pray, even before doors that are closed. "
