Italian church apologises after bishop tells children ‘Santa does not exist’

A Roman Catholic diocese in Sicily has apologised to parents after its bishop reportedly instructed a neighborhood of children that Santa Claus didn’t exist.

At a spiritual event final week, Bishop Antonio Staglianò additionally talked about Santa’s crimson costume had been chosen by Coca-Cola for publicity, Italian media file.

The comments infuriated parents.

In an apology, Rev Alessandro Paolino, from the diocese of Noto, talked about the bishop had tried to underline the moral which manner of Christmas.

He additionally talked about the comments had been aimed at highlighting the fable of Saint Nicholas, the initial inspiration for the figure of Santa Claus and identified for giving gifts to the heart-broken.

“To begin with, on behalf of the bishop, I converse my sorrow for this declaration, which has created disappointment in the minute ones, and wish to specify that Monsignor Stagliano’s intentions had been moderately assorted,” Rev Paolino talked about in a put up on the diocesan Fb page.

Rev Paolino, who’s the communications director for the diocese of Noto, talked about the bishop had wished the kids to “mirror about the which manner of Christmas”, announcing that the date had change into identified for consumerism.

“If we’re going to all draw a lesson, younger or old, from the figure of Santa Claus… it’s miles that this: fewer gifts to ‘build’ and ‘use’ and extra ‘gifts’ to portion,” the relate talked about.

In an interview with newspaper La Repubblica, the bishop talked about he had no longer instructed the kids that Santa didn’t exist however that there used to be a must always “distinguish what’s staunch from what’s no longer”.