Italian Priest Holds Mass In The Sea With Inflatable Altar, Criticised
Mattia Bernasconi said he had planned to hold Sunday's ceremony among the trees by the beach in Crotone, southern Italy, after a week-long youth camp, but the spot was taken by another group.
An Italian Catholic priest apologised Wednesday after being criticised for celebrating mass in the sea using an inflatable mattress as an altar.
Mattia Bernasconi said he had planned to hold Sunday's ceremony among the trees by the beach in Crotone, southern Italy, after a week-long youth camp, but the spot was taken by another group.
With no other shade available from the searing heat, a family nearby offered the use of the mattress, and the priest took to the water, conducting the service with everyone -- himself included -- in swimsuits.
In response to a photo of the mass published by local media, the archdiocese of Crotone hailed the commitment of the young people involved but said there must be certain standards.
While mass can be held outside "it is necessary to maintain that minimum of decorum and attention to the symbols required by the very nature of liturgical celebrations," it said.
In a response published online Wednesday, the priest -- from Milan -- defended his actions while apologising for any offence.
"It was absolutely not my intention to trivialise the eucharist... it was simply the mass at the end of a week of work," he said.
"But the symbols are strong, it's true, and they speak, sometimes in a different way than we would like. It was naive of me not to give them due weight," he added.
Mattia Bernasconi said he had planned to hold Sunday's ceremony among the trees by the beach in Crotone, southern Italy, after a week-long youth camp, but the spot was taken by another group.
With no other shade available from the searing heat, a family nearby offered the use of the mattress, and the priest took to the water, conducting the service with everyone -- himself included -- in swimsuits.
In response to a photo of the mass published by local media, the archdiocese of Crotone hailed the commitment of the young people involved but said there must be certain standards.
While mass can be held outside "it is necessary to maintain that minimum of decorum and attention to the symbols required by the very nature of liturgical celebrations," it said.
In a response published online Wednesday, the priest -- from Milan -- defended his actions while apologising for any offence.
"It was absolutely not my intention to trivialise the eucharist... it was simply the mass at the end of a week of work," he said.
"But the symbols are strong, it's true, and they speak, sometimes in a different way than we would like. It was naive of me not to give them due weight," he added.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
