Will Pope Send a Commissar to Italian Gay Marriage Diocese?

Homosexual marriage: Embrace in front of the camera between Bishop Zenti and ex-Pastor Costalunga.

(Rome) "I love God and my husband". With these words, Don Giuliano Costalunga justified leaving his parish Selva di Progno in the diocese of Verona in order to run away with his lover to Spain and there to enter into a "gay marriage" with him.

From Spain, the gay couple came up with this speech in a bizarre video:

"After ten years my dream finally came true. I've married Paolo, my friend and my love forever. "

Selva di Progno and the parish church which Costalunga abandoned after eleven years

Don Giuliano Costalunga was until his flight, pastor of a small, parish of a thousand souls on "Tautschan Perg" (German mountain), as the inhabitants of the Lessinian Alps were earlier called. In the Middle Ages, Germans had cleared here and built the small peasants' republic of the Thirteen Communities, which lasted until 1796. German has not been spoken in a long time in this quiet area, where you can look far into the Po Valley. Now there is some excitement.

The pastor of the village was blown to Gran Canaria at the end of April.

He had brought his "love" to the mountain village and where he was employed as a "parish worker". The two had met during "the first years of my priesthood" and lived together in the rectory. After ten years of secrecy, they could not stand it anymore.

On the "gayest island" in the world, as gay organizations advertise Gran Canaria, the two were "trussed.” In Selva di Progno, where he arrived in 2007, he was controversial because of his "modern" methods. No one suspected that he belonged to the "gay community".

For years he had wanted to unite his lived homosexuality and the priesthood. But now he wants to ask the diocesan ordinary for his release from the priesthood.

Bishop Giuseppe Zenti of Verona confirmed the "gay marriage" of his former pastor. He described the case as "very sad for our Church" in a first reaction.

And he revealed even more:

"One of my predecessors wanted to prevent his ordination to the priest. I suspect he knew it was not the best decision for this man to become a priest. "

When the then bishop of Verona did not want to consecrate him in 1998, Costalunga simply changed places. In another diocese (Rieti), 500 kilometers away, priests were needed, and so he too was ordained.

"His personal situation is very sad and difficult to solve. If he does not ask for his laicisation, I will do it on my own initiative," said Bishop Zemi.

Costalunga has been a priest for 20 years, wears piercing and is tattooed. "Veritas nos liberabit" (The truth makes us free), he tattooed this verse of the Gospel of John.

In a bizarre wedding video he explains:

"I have lived a special experience. Paolo saved me. He made me a better person. He is an angel who changed my life ".

Greetings from Gran Ganaria: the burned pastor with his "husband"

The mothers led the two men to the wedding. There were still some friends present. And of course, everyone has vigorously applauded the "gay marriage", as one believes today, they have to do. The whole thing to the music of an Italian hits from the 50s.

Meanwhile, there was an encounter between Costalunga and his bishop Zenti. Under the spotlight of the media, the bishop suddenly took a more reserved tone. Everything was under obvious public pressure. Whether this is the right setting for such an encounter may be doubted.

Bishop and ex-pastor embraced each other in a media-friendly manner, and Bishop Zenti hurried to say, "I have no right to judge." Pope Francis sends his regards.

It was no longer a matter of ex officio measures:

"I still regard you as my priest. Until you ask for dispensation, you will be a priest. "

After all, the bishop emphasized:

"For me, there is only marriage between a man and a woman".

But even this statement was unfortunate. It gave the impression that it was a private opinion of the bishop.

There was no question of the many unanswered questions about Costalunga's personal incoherence. And many more questions:

- In the diocese of Rieti, nobody asked why Costalunga was denied ordination in Verona?

- Did not anyone ask questions in the diocese of Verona when Costalunga suddenly wanted to return to his home bishopric as a consecrated priest?

- Was anyone in the diocese of Verona interested in referring to an unusual "resident" in the rectory?

- Who violated his duty to supervise?

- Will Pope Francis now also send a Commisar to Verona, as he did in Ciudad del Este and in Albenga?

The fact is, the gay scene rejoices over the "gay marriage" of a priest, while the case for the church is very sad.

Rather than blaming the Internet for publicizing the matter, Bishop Zenti might have called on the faithful to pray for the priest and for himself.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi

Image: Corriere di Verona / Wikicommons (Screenshots)

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG