Catholic conservatism on the rise as priest refuses funeral for 'sinner'

A parish priest has refused to give an Italian woman a Christian funeral because she had “lived in sin”. Father Giuseppe Mazzotta, parish priest at Marcellinara, near Catanzaro in Calabria, said that he had denied a Christian funeral to Maria Francesca Tallarico, who died of breast cancer at the age of 45, because she had lived with her partner but never married him. Her partner was separated and had an 11-year-old daughter.

“She lived with her lover, so she was a public sinner,” Father Mazzotta said. “I decided not to celebrate an official Mass for this woman, who was not in communion with the Church.”

Father Mazzotta said that he had performed the liturgy of absolution for the dead. He added that he was close to the dead woman’s family and had offered them “words of comfort”.

Father Antonio Sciortino, the Editor of Famiglia Cristiana, a popular Catholic magazine, accused Father Mazzotta of “excessive zeal”. Mario Paraboschi, a local councillor, said that he was perplexed. Father Mazzotta said that his action carried a message: “Marriage is a sacrament. We cannot simply pretend.”

The priest’s decision has underlined the growing power of conservative Catholicism in Italy. The liberal and secular Left is increasingly alarmed by the return to “Catholic values” in politics and everyday life, which has clear implications for the general election, due next May.

Yesterday Romano Prodi, the leader of the opposition Centre Left, who hopes to oust the ruling Centre-Right coalition of Silvio Berlusconi, came under fire from the Church and the Right for suggesting that he would follow “the French example” and recognise homosexual “civil unions” if he were returned to power.

Signor Prodi said that he would not go so far as Spain and legalise gay marriage, but Il Giornale, the conservative newspaper owned by the Berlusconi family, said that that was the logical next step.

Thank you, Campion, for your obviously knowledgeable posts. :o)

You're most welcome. Glad to be of assistance.

I guess I shouldn't let the Feeneyists (?) fool me into thinking what they believe about salvation is what most Catholics believe.

No, but even more -- this is a hard concept to grasp -- you shouldn't exactly care much about "what most Catholics believe". What defines Catholicism is what the Church's magisterium (big Latin word, means "teaching authority", comes from the Latin magister, which is the usual word for "teacher") teaches, not what most Catholics believe. The magisterium is the bishops teaching in union with the Pope, not just this current Pope and these bishops, but all of the Popes and bishops, and before them the Apostles, and before them the prophets and patriarchs, back throughout salvation history.

Notice also (the following is contrary to the de facto M.O. w/in Protestantism) that the magisterium does not include "Catholic theologians," whose function is more like that of observers or explainers than teachers.

To put it more succinctly, "what most Catholics believe" may, or may not, be rank heresy, not Catholicism. (cf my tagline) "What Catholicism is" is identical to "what the magisterium teaches". The starting point for what the magisterium teaches is of course what the Scriptures teach.

Oh, and the Protestants who claim anyone who is a Catholic is not a Christian--they're just plain wrong.

Thanks! God bless!

I gave some references (and so did others) to Catholic laws and teachings on the subject. Scroll up to the first comments. It is approved, in SOME circumstances of practical origin (e.g. infectious diseases, lack of space, local regulations) and ONLY IF there is NO intention of denying the doctrine of the resurrection of the bodies.

It was absolutely forbidden since the beginning of the Church to fight the pagan misconceptions about death. Obviously, God can resurrect bodies whatever their fate after death, but is important to preserve the due respect for the flesh we share with Christ that will rise back to life one day.

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