translated from Spanish: Vatican warns over Italian bill against homophobia

The Vatican warned Italy that some points of a bill under discussion in the Senate against homophobia and transphobia “reduce the freedom” of religion guaranteed by the so-called Concordat, the agreement regulating relations between Italian Church and State since 1929, and expressed its “concern” about the text.” Some current contents of the proposal reduce the freedom guaranteed to the Catholic Church by Article 2, paragraphs 1 and 3 of the agreement to revise the Concordat,” the Holy See proposed to the Italian Government in an official note presented last week According to the corriere della Sera newspaper, the letter was delivered by the so-called Vatican “chancellor” , Paul Richard Gallagher, and warns that some aspects of the law approved by Deputies in November go against the legal framework that regulates the existence of the Church in the country.” Certainly, there is concern of the Holy See and each of us” about the text, said the prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, Irish Cardinal Kevin Farrell, when asked about the letter at a press conference. According to Corriere’s information, the Concern of the Holy See extends to the “freedom of organization, of public exercise of worship, of exercise of magisterium and of the episcopal ministry” and to the guarantee “to the Catholics and their associations and organizations the full freedom of assembly and expression of thought with the word , writings and any other means of dissemination”. One of the points that worries the Vatican is that with the current text of the project known as “DDL Zan”, private Catholic schools would not be exempt from organizing activities during the future National Day against Homophobia. At the same time, the note presented by the Vatican’s secretary for relations with the States to the Italian embassy to the Holy See warns about the “freedom of thought” of Catholics and the possible judicial consequences.” We ask that our concerns be taken into account,” Gallagher said in the letter, according to Corriere. The letter is the first time that the Holy See has made a formal request to Italy on a bill in almost 100 years of existence of the so-called Lateran Pacts, which framed the bilateral relationship. The project also generates divisions within the Italian ruling party. The Vatican’s letter was supported by some members of the ruling party, such as Matteo Salvini of the League, who called for a “brake and review” of the project. Enrico Letta, secretary general of the Democratic Party, also a ruling party official, confirmed his willingness to approve the law, although he said that the government is “open to dialogue.” “We are ready to look at the legal issues but we support the implementation of the law that is a civility law,” he said in statements reproduced by the repubblica newspaper.

Original source in Spanish