The priest, the LGBT families and the wakefulness in the diocese of Venice to say no to homophobia
Alice d'Este Article Published in the Corriere del Veneto of 18 may 2022, p.
Venice. Wait for them on the churchyard, it indicates the entrance. "By here: today's meeting is in church, for the first time in history" he smiles. Roberto Stevanato is 75 years old. He is a very Catholic man. And for 20 years he fights against homotransphobia in civil society but above all in the Church.
When he was 55 of his son Francesco, he confessed to him that he was homosexual. A few days after the parish priest of the Church that the whole family frequented assiduously refused communion to the sixteen year old, in front of the whole community.
Yesterday, for the International day against homophobia, bifobia and transfobia, roberto and His group of catholic parents of lGBT children organized a Waking in the church. to host them Was the parish of santa maria ausiliatrice Of The Gazzera for The first time in the history of the Diocese of Venice.
"We were born in 2019. We all call ourselves children of God" - explains Stevanato - among us Ds are parents with children of children, young women and men LGBT. We are all Catholic parents, attending activities, with important activities in the parish, from the nursery committee of the nursery school, where he was my wife, to the pastoral council in which I was me. And when our children opened in front of the pressure, at the distance of the institutions. My son Francesco is emblematic ».
When Francesco realized he was gay he decided to tell him to the parish priest. He attended the parish groups there, he was very believer as well as his parents. And he hoped to find support. "As soon as he finished with difficulty speaking, the parish priest hunted him from the confessional - says Roberto Stevanato - and the following Sunday he refused communion. When my son, in tears, told us all this we realized that something was to be done ».
La storia di Roberto Stevanato e di sua moglie è quella di molte famiglie cattoliche che si trovano schiacciate tra il dogma e l’amore per i loro figli. «L’amore per tuo figlio viene prima di tutto, anche di 55 anni vissuti in uno schema incontrovertibile – dice Stevanato – quando Francesco ci ha parlato gli abbiamo detto subito che per noi non sarebbe cambiato nulla. Volevamo però fare qualcosa perché anche nella società civile e soprattutto nella Chiesa cattolica le persone fossero veramente accettate così come sono».
Il gruppo di Venezia fa parte di una rete più ampia che si chiama «3TimesParents», sparsa in tutto il territorio nazionale da Torino a Ragusa. E che cerca di superare l’incomunicabilità tra gerarchie ecclesiastiche della chiesa e la vita vera.
«Ci sono un sacco di ragazzi cattolici che sono banditi dalle istituzioni religiose – dice Stevanato – questa accoglienza in chiesa e una conquista. È la prima volta che facciamo una veglia così in una chiesa cattolica».
Con loro, a guidare l’incontro ci sarà il parroco della Gazzera. «È stato nominato dal Patriarca come nostra guida spirituale, naturalmente monsignor Francesco Moraglia è informato di tutto, ci siamo presentati in modo ufficiale. Siamo qui per cambiare lo sguardo delle persone, per togliere le barriere e aprire i cuori».
