'Your gay son needs an exorcist,' priest tells mom
A priest in Palermo told a mom her teenage gay son was a 'devil' and ordered her to leave the church
A faithful Catholic mom was comanded to get an exorcist and leave the
church, after her priest discovered her teenage son was gay.
His condemnation came after she begged him to read a letter to his congregation in favor of gay rights on behalf of her and her son.
But he replied: ‘Your son is a devil. So, please, go to an exorcist. And, please, leave this church.’
The incident earlier this month in Palermo, the capital of the Italian island of Sicily, has now been reported by LGBT Christian group Ali d’Aquila.
The woman, who does not want to be named, wrote a letter to Ali d’Aquila pleading for their help, signing the appeal as ‘a mother of a gay boy’.
Ali d’Aquila coordinator Giovanni Capizzi told Gay Star News: ‘This brings shame on the church. It was a terrible event.
‘The woman is now depressed and is being supported by Agedo, the leading association of LGBT people’s parents.
‘The priest drove her away from the church and told her to contact an exorcist.
‘She asked the priest to read a pro-gay letter during the service. But this is how the priest reacted.’
Gay Christian group Ali d’Aquila started in 2008 and now is formed of 25 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
While the Catholic Church's homophobic stance still holds back the progress of LGBT rights in Italy, some priests are rebelling and welcoming gay Christians. Progress is even being made in Sicily, one of the least pro-gay regions in the country.
Capizzi added: ‘Ali d’Aquila is hosted by priest Padre Cosimo Scordato in the San Francesco Saverio church in the Albergheria area in Palermo.
‘We have to thank all the wonderful priests who believe in us. Not all the church people are homophobic or anti-gay.
‘Some priests don’t want us to pray and hold public meetings, but some of them are really friendly and pro-gay.
‘We went to the last pride and we shouted for LGBT rights.’
Last Saturday (22 June), Palermo hosted the national Italian gay pride celebration. At least 100,000 people walked along the main streets of the Mediterranean city.
Sicily’s governor Rosario Crocetta, who’s openly gay, and left-wing party Sinistra, Ecologia e Libertà leader Nichi Vendola, who’s gay as well, took part in the parade.
His condemnation came after she begged him to read a letter to his congregation in favor of gay rights on behalf of her and her son.
But he replied: ‘Your son is a devil. So, please, go to an exorcist. And, please, leave this church.’
The incident earlier this month in Palermo, the capital of the Italian island of Sicily, has now been reported by LGBT Christian group Ali d’Aquila.
The woman, who does not want to be named, wrote a letter to Ali d’Aquila pleading for their help, signing the appeal as ‘a mother of a gay boy’.
Ali d’Aquila coordinator Giovanni Capizzi told Gay Star News: ‘This brings shame on the church. It was a terrible event.
‘The woman is now depressed and is being supported by Agedo, the leading association of LGBT people’s parents.
‘The priest drove her away from the church and told her to contact an exorcist.
‘She asked the priest to read a pro-gay letter during the service. But this is how the priest reacted.’
Gay Christian group Ali d’Aquila started in 2008 and now is formed of 25 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
While the Catholic Church's homophobic stance still holds back the progress of LGBT rights in Italy, some priests are rebelling and welcoming gay Christians. Progress is even being made in Sicily, one of the least pro-gay regions in the country.
Capizzi added: ‘Ali d’Aquila is hosted by priest Padre Cosimo Scordato in the San Francesco Saverio church in the Albergheria area in Palermo.
‘We have to thank all the wonderful priests who believe in us. Not all the church people are homophobic or anti-gay.
‘Some priests don’t want us to pray and hold public meetings, but some of them are really friendly and pro-gay.
‘We went to the last pride and we shouted for LGBT rights.’
Last Saturday (22 June), Palermo hosted the national Italian gay pride celebration. At least 100,000 people walked along the main streets of the Mediterranean city.
Sicily’s governor Rosario Crocetta, who’s openly gay, and left-wing party Sinistra, Ecologia e Libertà leader Nichi Vendola, who’s gay as well, took part in the parade.
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