An Italian bishop accused of destroying the magic of Christmas for children.
A bishop in Sicily has sparked controversy in Italy after telling his stunned congregation, including many young children, that ‘Santa Claus doesn’t exist’.
His words “froze” the children present in the church of Noto, reports an Italian newspaper Corriere della Seraleading to complaints from parents and a major backlash on social media.
Bishop Antonio Staglianò then launched an attack on Coca Cola, claiming that Santa Claus’ red suit “was chosen for publicity purposes”.
The bishop’s unexpected outburst from the pulpit of Santissimo Salvatore church resulted in ‘speechless children, bewildered parents’, reports the Corriere.
The cleric then explained his intentions. “I said that Santa Claus is not a historical figure like Saint Nicholas”, as part of an attempt to “recover the true meaning of the Christian tradition of Christmas”.
The bishop then went further by specifying: “As for the rest, the children know that Santa Claus is their dad or their uncle. So no broken dreams.
Amid a storm of criticism and accusations that the bishop had “ruined Christmas” for the children, the Diocese of Noto issued a statement trying to calm the situation.
Don Alessandro Paolino, Diocesan Responsible for Social Communications, said, “First of all, on behalf of the Bishop, I express my regret for this statement which has caused disappointment among the little ones.”
The statement said the bishop’s intentions “were quite different, that is to reflect with greater awareness on the meaning of Christmas and the beautiful traditions that accompany it.”
For many, however, it was too late, with “Babbo Natale” trending on Twitter alongside cruel comparisons between the Bishop and the Grinch, the fictional character who stole Christmas.
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