Vatican Attempts To Soothe Outrage Over Interference In Italy’s Bill That Would Add LGBTs To Hate Crimes Law

The Associated Press reports:

The Vatican’s Secretary of State attempted to tamp down controversy Thursday over a Vatican diplomatic communication to Italy, saying the Holy See was not trying to block passage of a law that would extend additional protections from discrimination to the LGBT community.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s No. 2, told Vatican News that he personally approved the diplomatic communication, which was intended to express concerns over the proposed Italian legislation. The Vatican is against any “attitude or gesture of intolerance or hatred toward people motivated by sexual orientations,” he added.

The chief concern, Parolin said, is that “vagaries” in the text of the proposed law could expose anyone expressing an opinion about “any possible distinction between man and woman” to prosecution.

Read the full article. The proposed bill would add hate-motivated crimes against LGBTQ people to preexisting hate crime laws. The bill passed Italy’s lower legislative chamber in November but has since stalled in the upper chamber due to right wing opposition. Activists plan to protest the Vatican’s interference at this weekend’s Pride events in Rome and Milan.

#Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin attempted to tamp down controversy over a diplomatic communication to Italy, saying the Holy See was not trying to block passage of further protections protections from discrimination for the LGBT community. https://t.co/pxuJS8qrqG

— NCR (@NCRonline) June 25, 2021