In Monfalcone, Italy, tensions rose following an incident at the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin Marcelliana. According to Il Tempo, the sanctuary hosted approximately four thousand Muslims celebrating the Eid-Al-Adha festival. During the event, the statue of Jesus Christ was reportedly covered with a cloth, sparking discomfort and indignation among the local Christian community.
Anna Maria Cisint, the Lega MEP acting in her parliamentary role and as a spokesperson for requests from the local community, addressed the situation by writing to Pope Leo XIV. “An unacceptable act of sacrilege and contempt,” said Cisint in her letter, according to Il Tempo. She expressed that this decision represented “a wound and a burning injury for practicing Christians.”
Cisint emphasized the significance of the Church in her community, stating that it holds “a value of spiritual and moral guidance” that Christians look to. She stressed that “the conduct of ecclesiastical institutions should not generate disorientation and uncertainties regarding the safeguarding of Christian principles.” The incident at one of the most intimate places of the city's faith led to “personal and community disorientation in Monfalcone,” she noted.
She warned of the “related dangers” arising from “attitudes of challenge towards Christian ordinances and principles of faith.” She specifically mentioned concerns about “the attitude of Islamic components practicing stricter Sharia with attitudes of challenge towards our ordinances, our institutions, and our principles of faith.”
The preparation of this article relied on a news-analysis system.