A Catholic priest has been criticised by parents in a city in northern Italy for telling their children that Father Christmas does not really exist.
Father Dino Bottino, the parish priest of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Novara, let out the secret at a children’s mass earlier this month.
A local paper published complaints from dozens of parents. “You’ve ruined my children’s Christmas,” said one mother.
But an unrepentant Fr Bottino called it his duty to set the record straight.
“I told the children that Father Christmas was an invention that had nothing to do with the Christian Christmas story,” he said.
“And I would repeat it again, if I had the chance,” he added.
But Father Dino could not have imagined the scorn that would be heaped upon him after he told children at mass that neither Father Christmas - nor the kindly witch called the Befana who provides presents on 6 January to Italian children - really exist.
The priest said he had never intended to hurt anyone, but it was his duty to distinguish the reality of Jesus from the story of Father Christmas which was a fable just like Cinderella or Snow White.
Only a few days ago on the BBC I heard an elected politician say that “It was clearly unwise for (a specific comedian) to make a joke like that at a time when comedy is under such scrutiny.”
The comedian had made a joke that was, at worst, in poor taste, and not offensive or inflammatory to any race, religion, minority or political party.
I’d say Irony was the cast of the film verison of Mama Mia singing ‘Thank you for the music’ at the end (especially the bit about having a gift and being able to sing).
After the Pope made his recent statement of Christmas goodwill (saying that homosexuals are as serious a problem to the future of mankind as the destruction of the rain forests) there was an interview on the BBC with some Roman Catholic magazine editor. How I chortled when the interviewer said, “So just because an old man has an imaginary friend who tellsd him…”
If you’re 80 and believe that God tells you what to do, everyone thinks you’re barmy. If you’re 80 and millions of people think God tells you what to do, you’re the Pope. (Pity God didn’t tell him not to join the Hitler Youth.)
my personal favourite is that the highest ranking catholics choose a decrepid senile old man to be the physical representation of god, it’s almost like they’re trying to tell you something.
Personally, I’m all for the story of Father Christmas.
Let children enjoy life and believe in magic for a while before they realize that the world’s a lot less friendly.
The irony is that the priest was trying to promote the Catholic faith but in so doing has probably served to drive several families and their posterity away.
There is a reason hegemonic religions have historically allowed for local customs and superstitions to be incorporated into their faiths.
The irony is that the priest was trying to promote the Catholic faith but in so doing has probably served to drive several families and their posterity away.
There is a reason hegemonic religions have historically allowed for local customs and superstitions to be incorporated into their faiths.
[/QUOTE]
Raphael,
Thanks for correcting MikeFule and thejdw about the historical Jesus.
Your UU is probably among the best church as far as allowing for local customs and superstitions to be incorporated into their faiths. Orthodox religions, on the other hand, with rules on eating, dressing, marrying, driving and using machinery, etc, may be among the least.
But do tell, why? Does UU do it for the membership and $$? Or to minister to a flock who is really off the path?