Leaving the Vatican Behind...

Italians are showing a growing dissatisfaction with the Vatican's role in public life. The Corriere della Sera reports the symbolic act of portest of an Italian man complaining about the intrusion of the Church in political affairs:


The person in cause had his name removed from the register of baptisms in Rio Pusteria. He held: “I feel discriminated by the Catholic church”.


"BOLZANO – A 35-year-old homosexual from Alto Adige has left the Catholic church in protest at Cardinal Ruini’s declarations on assisted fertilisation, homosexual marriages and de facto unions. He did so by having his decision noted in the register of baptisms at Rio Pusteria, the home village of the Ratzingers, Pope Benedict XVI’s family. “As a homosexual, I feel discriminated by the Catholic church”, explained the man, an office worker whose initials are A.H. He explained that it took him one month, on the basis of a 1999 sentence by the privacy guarantor, to apply for and obtain from the parish priest at Rio Pusteria the annotation on the register of baptisms of his explicit desire not to be considered a member of the Roman Catholic Apostolic Church. He added that the priest had asked him to reconsider, but without success. The man also pointed out that if he had not obtained the annotation, he would have taken legal action."