Fierce controversy over Vatican satires in Italy
The well-known showman Rosario Fiorello will no longer be allowed to imitate the Pope's secretary Georg Gänswein on the radio. This was decided by the public broadcaster RAI. It is still unclear whether comedian Maurizio Crozza will continue to play the Pope in a satirical program on private television.
The well-known showman Rosario Fiorello will no longer be allowed to imitate the Pope's secretary Georg Gänswein on the radio. This was decided by the public broadcaster RAI. It is still unclear whether comedian Maurizio Crozza will continue to play the Pope in a satirical program on private television.
The Vatican reacted to the parodies in an unusually direct manner: "I hope that these satires will be stopped immediately, because they insult churchmen," Georg Gänswein was quoted as saying by the Italian news agency ADN. The Vatican is not in the habit of expressing its criticism so directly. But it worked: RAI boss Fabrizio Del Noce forbade Fiorello from using Gänswein's satire. He reacted with indignation: "I don't think I'm going to hell because of this imitation".
According to the SDA, the Vatican also has no love for the satire by comedian Maurizio Crozza, who imitates His Holiness himself with his characteristic Bavarian accent. In an editorial in the newspaper L'Avvenire, published by the Bishops' Conference, the program on the private channel La 7 was described as "vulgar" and "of the lowest level". According to the article, the Vatican is planning to take legal action against the program. So in this case it is not a clerical but a legal amen that is on the horizon.
The Vatican reacted to the parodies in an unusually direct manner: "I hope that these satires will be stopped immediately, because they insult churchmen," Georg Gänswein was quoted as saying by the Italian news agency ADN. The Vatican is not in the habit of expressing its criticism so directly. But it worked: RAI boss Fabrizio Del Noce forbade Fiorello from using Gänswein's satire. He reacted with indignation: "I don't think I'm going to hell because of this imitation".
According to the SDA, the Vatican also has no love for the satire by comedian Maurizio Crozza, who imitates His Holiness himself with his characteristic Bavarian accent. In an editorial in the newspaper L'Avvenire, published by the Bishops' Conference, the program on the private channel La 7 was described as "vulgar" and "of the lowest level". According to the article, the Vatican is planning to take legal action against the program. So in this case it is not a clerical but a legal amen that is on the horizon.
