The Milan Catholic diocese on
Thursday apologized for a letter asking religion teachers to
report back on any schools with gay- or gender-related programs.
"The letter sent Saturday November 8...is formulated in an
inappropriate way and we are sorry about that," wrote Father
Gian Battista Rota after teachers turned the letter over to the
press.
An openly gay undersecretary in the cabinet of Premier
Matteo Renzi earlier called the letter "inopportune".
"One could euphemistically call the letter inopportune, and
it was probably the fruit of an excess of zeal and a lack of
forethought," said Reform Ministry Undersecretary Ivan
Scalfarotto, a long-time promoter of LGBT rights.
The letter by Rota, prelate in charge of education, was
made public when some teachers turned it over to La Repubblica
newspaper.
The Milan diocese later confirmed the letter, while
withdrawing it from its own site.
"Religion teachers play an important role in a public
school system that is and must remain secular," Scalfarotto
said.
"Turning them...into some kind of secret agent or snitch
damages their dignity and harms a Church that so many -
believers and non-believers - would like to see be welcoming and
inclusive," the undersecretary concluded.
Also on Thursday, Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) chief
Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco appeared to distance himself from the
incident. "It seems extremely improbable and strange that a
census of this kind could be carried out in schools," he said.
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