The staunch defense of Christian traditions of the Brothers of Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's party, has found a new crusade: shielding the Bethlehem. The ultra-conservative party has just presented a bill to prohibit schools from removing the representation of the birth of Jesus Christ, a text that has caused controversy because it provides for sanctions for school directors who oppose it.
Specifically, the document, entitled Respect and protection of Italian religious traditions, seeks to prohibit "preventing initiatives promoted by parents, students or competent school organizations to carry out activities linked to the traditional celebrations of Christmas or Christian Easter, such as the preparation of the nativity scene, the representations and other related manifestations to remember their deep meaning of humanity and the relationship that links them to the Italian national identity.” If the proposal continues through the parliamentary procedures and ends up being approved – which is expected, since the Italian right-wing coalition enjoys an absolute majority – those who do not comply will be punished with sanctions established by the Ministry of Education.
The senator from Brothers of Italy who signs this parliamentary initiative, Lavinia Mennuni, tells La Vanguardia that they do not want to force the setting up of the nativity scene, but rather “to prohibit it from being prohibited.” “There are many parents who do not approve of Christmas being replaced by something called the winter festival. "You should have the right to celebrate it in a traditional way," defends the parliamentarian, emphasizing that the nativity scene is a symbol of "humanity and love." Her goal is to prevent Italy from following the example of countries like France where in Nantes, for example, controversy has broken out over unconventional decorations in the municipality. “Instead of using traditional Christmas colors, he has chosen those of the LGBTQ rainbow. We know that this is a developing process especially at the European level,” she protested.
But his idea was not very popular. Neither to the opposition, nor to school leaders. The director of the association of school directors, Antonello Giannelli, believes that it is important to keep the country's traditions in mind, but imposing them by law "is out of place." “I think it must be a joke, because it can only be defined this way. “We are facing measures that only serve to distract the attention of Italians from the real problems of the school,” considers the president of the DirigentiScuola union, Emilio Fratta. Gianna Fracassi, secretary of the CGIL scuola union, recalls that Italy is a country with a secular school. “Operations like this that interfere with the autonomy of schools are not acceptable. We will support in every way the principle of scholastic autonomy and the secularism of public schools,” she warns.
Mennuni, however, insists on the importance of her project, which she is convinced will please the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, who in her most famous speech defined herself as a woman, a mother and a Christian. “For this Government it is undoubtedly important to safeguard Christian traditions, which are also Italian. Let us not forget that the nativity scene is an Italian tradition,” she insists, on the 800th anniversary of the first nativity scene founded by Saint Francis of Assisi in the town of Greccio.
Asked if the law discriminates against students of other beliefs, Mennuni believes that this is not the case. She believes that the nativity scene does not imply any “indoctrination or proselytism by the State”, so there is no discrimination, in her opinion, for students and families of other religions. In fact, in the presentation of the text it is argued that preventing religious symbols during the holidays “would constitute discrimination against students and families practicing the majority religion.”
“Today the Holy Family that escapes persecution would probably end up in a center, the same in Albania, waiting to know if a judge in Italy decides that they are worthy or not of setting foot on Italian territory,” he commented ironically, recalling the recent immigration pact. between Rome and Tirana, the secretary of the progressive Europe party, Riccardo Magi.
