Two Mothers Beside Baby Jesus... Christmas Decoration Sparks Uproar in Italy

"Created to Show Diverse Family Types," Claimed
"Not Only Dangerous but Also Shameful and Irreverent"

A controversy arose after a nativity scene in an Italian cathedral featured baby Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and a woman resembling a Buddhist statue to celebrate Christmas.

A woman next to the Virgin Mary at the nativity scene... "In line with the Pope's intentions"

The Nativity scene appearing in the Church of Saints Peter and Paul located in the village of Capocastello di Mercoliano, Italy. Unlike the traditional Nativity scene featuring Jesus, Mary, and Saint Joseph, Joseph is absent and replaced by a woman.
[Photo by Reuters Yonhap News]

On the 23rd (local time), the British daily The Telegraph reported, "At the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in the Avellino area, about an hour's drive east of Naples, the nativity scene (a decoration depicting the stable in Bethlehem where baby Jesus was born) was arranged with Mary on the left of baby Jesus and an unidentified woman on the right."

This is quite different from the traditional decorations featuring the Virgin Mary, baby Jesus, and Joseph.

Father Vitaliano Della Sala explained the reason for creating such a scene, saying, "Through this scene, I wanted to show that there is not only the traditional family."

He elaborated, "In our parish, we are increasingly seeing children belonging to new types of families, such as those from separated or divorced households, same-sex couples, single individuals, and children of young women."

Father Della Sala added that his actions align with the intentions of Pope Francis, who recently officially declared that same-sex couples can receive blessings from Catholic priests.

Earlier, on the 18th, the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a doctrinal declaration titled 'Fiducia supplicans' (Supplicating Trust), stating that Catholic priests may bless same-sex couples if they wish. This declaration received official approval from Pope Francis.

Although the blessing for same-sex couples should not be conducted as part of the Church's formal rites or during Mass and is distinct from the sacrament of marriage, it marked a historic decision differing from the Catholic Church's tradition of excluding same-sex couples.

Controversy over "normalizing surrogacy" decoration despite baby Jesus not being Joseph's child

However, the decoration sparked controversy in Italy.

Maurizio Gaspari, a senator from the right-wing coalition party Forward Italy (FI), criticized, "Spaces where sexual minorities play always offend all those who have respect and devotion for the Holy Family (baby Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph)."

The group 'Pro Vita & Famiglia,' which advocates for life and family, claimed, "It is not only dangerous but also shameful and sacrilegious," arguing that this nativity scene contradicts the cathedral's teachings on family and normalizes same-sex parents and surrogacy.

In Italy, having children through surrogacy is illegal, and the parliament is discussing legislation to punish couples who use surrogacy abroad.

Foreign media explained, "In Italy, where many are Catholic believers, depictions of Jesus' birth are popular, but in recent years, as society has become secularized and multicultural, such images have increasingly become embroiled in cultural wars."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.