The Catholic Church on Wednesday called it a provocation that an NGO's posters depict St. Luca from Syracuse as a refugee, the Italian news agency ANSA reported. Believers consider the posters sacrilegious, the local bishop informed.

Before St. Luke's feast day on December 13, posters appeared on the streets of Syracuse, on which instead of the usual depiction, the saint's face was replaced with the features of a Nigerian, a Bangladeshi, an Arab, and a European woman. Saint Luke's clothing is also replaced by African, Asian and Arab clothing.

Behind the initiative is the organization MetaBorgata, which is supported by the province of Sicily in order to catch up with disadvantaged districts. According to Viviana Cannizzo, a spokeswoman for the organization, the posters point to the multi-ethnic reality of the people there and aim to promote inclusion. They wanted to suggest that not only saints, but also people are capable of miracles by being open to others, he explained.

"The modification of the traditional features of the saint known to all offends the religious sentiments of many. The believers were shocked that all this happened as the feast day of their patron saint was approaching"

- the church responded in a statement.

The IV. At the beginning of the century, St. Luke was born in Syracuse and was martyred during the persecution of Christians by the Roman Empire. His holiday is considered a city farewell; Residents of Syracuse and returning Syracuseans from all over the world take part in a procession in which the human-sized silver statue of the saint is carried on their shoulders from the cathedral to the chapel where his relics are kept.

 

Source: MTI

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