Former nuns to get civil union in northern Italy
Former nuns to get civil union in northern Italy
Isabel and Federica are among the many Italians finally able to make their love official, thanks to the civil union bill this year which legalized same sex unions in Italy.
But their story is a little bit different: the 44-year-olds are both former nuns.
Federica is Italian and Isabel South American, and both women used to belong to the Franciscan order, named after the current pope's namesake Francis of Assisi.
They fell in love during a mission and have been together for three years, according to northern Italian daily La Stampa, which shared the ex-nuns' story on Wednesday. Federica and Isabel have asked for anonymity as they start their new life together.
They will tie the knot on Thursday in Pinerolo in Piedmont, northwestern Italy, in a ceremony officiated by mayor Luca Salvai, from the Five Star Movement.
But getting to this point wasn't easy; before the union could take place, the woman had to go through the formal process of cutting their ties to their order and the Vatican.
After the municipal ceremony, women will then receive a religious blessing from ex-priest Franco Barbero, who himself was suspended from the Church in 2003 due to his support of gay marriage and criticism of Catholic doctrine. Since then, he has written books and a blog; it was through this network that he met the former nuns.
Theirs will be the 20th civil union he's officiated this year, and Barbero said Federica and Isabel's story was "like all the love stories in the world".
"They got to know each other slowly, and discovered they had deep feelings," Barbero told La Stampa. "They are two marvellous people, with very deep faith. They reflected for a long time and took the decision courageously, knowing it wouldn't be accepted."
He also said that this is not the first union of two ex-nuns he has blessed.
Source 1
Pope praises anti-gay marriage rally in Mexico for ‘defending the family’
Pope Francis has praised anti-gay marriage activists in Mexico for defending “family and life”.
Mexico has recently seen a wave of large-scale protests opposing same-sex marriage heavily backed by Catholic groups, after President Enrique Peña Nieto pushed to bring about equal marriage country-wide.
This weekend, tens of thousands of people were bussed in to large anti-gay marriage protests across the country, continuing a wave of opposition of the move.
Despite being perceived as a ‘reformer’ within the Church by some, Pope Francis has openly praised the protesters for defending “family and life”.
Speaking in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, he said: “I am very happy to associate myself with the Bishops of Mexico, in supporting the commitment of the Church and of civil society in favour of the family and of life, which in this time require special pastoral and cultural attention in all the world.”
It comes after the Mexican Catholic Church claimed that banning ‘gay cure’ therapy would amount to persecution against them.
The spokesperson of Mexico’s Catholic church, Father Hugo Valdemar, fumed: “There is persecution against the Church.
“It is something very serious, the state now determines the sexual behavior of citizens and forbids any attempt to return to normalcy.
“The state prohibits parents from helping their children to solve their sexual doubts and prohibits homosexuals from changing, but if they want to change their sex they fund that atrocity, it’s something diabolic.”
He continued to claim that country would imprison anyone who disagrees with the “gay dictatorship”.
Source 2
Another article about Pope Francis' stance on LGBTQ rights
Isabel and Federica are among the many Italians finally able to make their love official, thanks to the civil union bill this year which legalized same sex unions in Italy.
But their story is a little bit different: the 44-year-olds are both former nuns.
Federica is Italian and Isabel South American, and both women used to belong to the Franciscan order, named after the current pope's namesake Francis of Assisi.
They fell in love during a mission and have been together for three years, according to northern Italian daily La Stampa, which shared the ex-nuns' story on Wednesday. Federica and Isabel have asked for anonymity as they start their new life together.
They will tie the knot on Thursday in Pinerolo in Piedmont, northwestern Italy, in a ceremony officiated by mayor Luca Salvai, from the Five Star Movement.
But getting to this point wasn't easy; before the union could take place, the woman had to go through the formal process of cutting their ties to their order and the Vatican.
After the municipal ceremony, women will then receive a religious blessing from ex-priest Franco Barbero, who himself was suspended from the Church in 2003 due to his support of gay marriage and criticism of Catholic doctrine. Since then, he has written books and a blog; it was through this network that he met the former nuns.
Theirs will be the 20th civil union he's officiated this year, and Barbero said Federica and Isabel's story was "like all the love stories in the world".
"They got to know each other slowly, and discovered they had deep feelings," Barbero told La Stampa. "They are two marvellous people, with very deep faith. They reflected for a long time and took the decision courageously, knowing it wouldn't be accepted."
He also said that this is not the first union of two ex-nuns he has blessed.
Source 1
Pope praises anti-gay marriage rally in Mexico for ‘defending the family’
Pope Francis has praised anti-gay marriage activists in Mexico for defending “family and life”.
Mexico has recently seen a wave of large-scale protests opposing same-sex marriage heavily backed by Catholic groups, after President Enrique Peña Nieto pushed to bring about equal marriage country-wide.
This weekend, tens of thousands of people were bussed in to large anti-gay marriage protests across the country, continuing a wave of opposition of the move.
Despite being perceived as a ‘reformer’ within the Church by some, Pope Francis has openly praised the protesters for defending “family and life”.
Speaking in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, he said: “I am very happy to associate myself with the Bishops of Mexico, in supporting the commitment of the Church and of civil society in favour of the family and of life, which in this time require special pastoral and cultural attention in all the world.”
It comes after the Mexican Catholic Church claimed that banning ‘gay cure’ therapy would amount to persecution against them.
The spokesperson of Mexico’s Catholic church, Father Hugo Valdemar, fumed: “There is persecution against the Church.
“It is something very serious, the state now determines the sexual behavior of citizens and forbids any attempt to return to normalcy.
“The state prohibits parents from helping their children to solve their sexual doubts and prohibits homosexuals from changing, but if they want to change their sex they fund that atrocity, it’s something diabolic.”
He continued to claim that country would imprison anyone who disagrees with the “gay dictatorship”.
Source 2
Another article about Pope Francis' stance on LGBTQ rights