Milan Priest From the Margins Makes "Mano Cornuta" Before Mass

(Rome) An AFP photographer, Giuseppe Cacace, immortalized a bizarre scene on the outskirts of the Pope's visit to Milan: a priest making the mano cornuta. The "horned hand" is considered a rather vulgar gesture in Italy to offend someone else, but it has even wider meanings right down to Satanism.

The "weirdly dressed guy with a colorful newsboy hat" (Corriere della Sera), who presented the Mano cornuta before the beginning of the Holy Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in Milan, is not a satanist who had become part of the priesthood but a priest and is known as Don Luca Raimondi. Don Raimondi, who by his conspicuous attitude "decidedly fell out of the circle of the priests present" (Corriere), is pastor in the diocese of Monza (church province of Milan).

The significance of the disparaging gesture can have numerous meanings. In Italy s a way to tell the other person that his wife / girlfriend is unfaithful to him, put on horns (adultery). The gesture also occurs in the case of a surprise, as a defense against a misfortune or a misfortune.

But the hand gesture is also seen as a satanist greeting, as a gesture of invocation or confession to Satan. Just as common, the Mano cornuta is a scene-typical pose in the hardrock subculture, known there as Devil horns or Metalhand.

Buddhism also knows it in the form of a mudra (hand gesture). This "persecution or deflection gesture" (Karana) has also flowed into yoga. "With the horns of a wild yak, the adept is going against the demon or opponent." This is an intensified "threat gesture" (Tarjana), which is directed against a demon or an opponent only with a raised index finger.

Don Luca Raimondi is considered to be a "priest at the margins". He attends to four parishes of a pastoral unit, which includes three places in Brianza.

Through the publication of the picture with the unusual gesture and the following storm of indignation, he saw himself forced to make an explanation. Yesterday the priest justified it to his faithful during Holy Mass with a story so unbelievable that he would have better saved it.

The short version: It was an hour before the beginning of the Mass. There was a cheerful, cheerful mood. It happened  in the priest's block. Then, on the cell phone, a woman called to him, who from a distance reserved for the faithful, motioned to him, joked with him about his newsboy hat, and said she wanted to have it. He had said no, and that with the raised index finger. When the woman insisted, he had then raised his pinky finger to say no. "These are the risks of communication," Don Raimondi said. Whoever believes it. Even if the story were accurate, the question would remain unanswered, as a priest loosely and without any connection, forms a hand to Mano cornuta.

"More importantly, I brought 200 people to Milan," said Don Luca. He had only raised the sleeves of  chasuble beforehand because of the "heat". A "cheerful, open mood," was ruling over the place, the priest said. It was just a "joking gesture." The AFP photo, however, does not seem to confirm this.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Corriere.it (Screenshot)
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
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