From the OPPO case to today. The presence of homosexual people in Italian Battiste churches, Valdesi and Methodists

Abstract of the intervention of the Pastora Battista Anna Maffei * held at the meeting-confront "The roads of love. Pastoral care and social justice for homosexual and transsexual people"(Florence, November 8, 2015)

“At the end of Sunday cult, at the time of announcements, Fabrizio He came forward to testify his faith in Jesus of Nazareth, Christ. The Church, full, carefully listened to his words, with the tension and emotion of these moments. It was in the end that there was a jolt: with the calmness that we learned to know and with the courage of faith, that in these long years spent together we experienced, Fabrizio declared his homosexuality (...) the problem was born a year later, when the application for baptism was presented ".

The intervention of the Maffei Pastora, of the Evangelical Christian Church Battista of Florence, at the meeting on the book "The streets of love"Of 8 November, at the Sala della Chiesa della Madonna della Tosse in Florence, began with this memory.
The text reported the chronicle of an event that had involved an Italian Battista Church in 1982 when a young homosexual young man had asked to be admitted to baptism. In the churches Battiste baptism is a confession of faith in Christ administered to adult believers.

It was the first time that an Italian Battista community was in front of this dilemma. The "Oppo case” – così sarebbe in seguito stato ricordato – avviò nelle chiese dell’Unione battista un acceso dibattito e la chiesa interessata andò qualche anno dopo incontro ad una divisione. Fabrizio fu poi battezzato nel 1986 ed è stato da allora membro attivo e stimato della chiesa di Cagliari.

Ma questa tormentata vicenda ha senza dubbio aiutato i battisti italiani a dibattere il problema dell’inclusione dei credenti omosessuali nella vita delle chiese nella giusta maniera, cioè non ideologicamente, in astratto, ma a partire da persone concrete che bussano alle porte delle comunità chiedendo con semplicità di farne parte senza pregiudizi.

Da allora molte cose sono cambiate. Oggi la presenza di persone omosessuali nelle chiese battiste, e anche in quelle valdesi e metodiste, non è cosa rara e c’è stato anche qualche caso di pastori omosessuali che ha creato qualche turbamento e qualche protesta in altre Unioni battiste europee, particolarmente in quelle dell’est.

Anche nel protestantesimo internazionale, infatti, il problema di una lettura fondamentalista ed omofobica della Bibbia non è affatto superato. C’è molta strada da fare, ma le cose cambiano e cambieranno ancora.

Today in the Waldensian and methodist churches the blessing of homosexual couples is possible and it is a possible practice also in the Baptist churches. In the latter case, however, given the congregationalist organization of the Baptism, the blessing liturgy in a public worship can only be officiated on the decision of the individual local church asked for the occasion.
And it is not necessary to underestimate the fact that these open positions are not always obvious, particularly because many churches have accepted in the last decades of immigrant believers, coming from European and non -European countries where evangelical Christian churches are less prepared for a real welcome.

Listening, meeting, close knowledge of the experience of homosexuals and believing transsexuals can really make a difference.
Therefore it was proposed to multiply meetings on this ecumenical theme in the different ecclesial realities of the city of Florence. Being united makes stronger because it creates bonds of mutual affection and friendship that goes beyond every border.

.* Anna Maffei, Pastora of the Battista Church was president of UCEBI (Evangelical Christian Union Battista d'Italia) until 2010.