Italian bishop apologizes for telling children Santa doesn’t exist
“No, However, after the bishop’s comments went viral, the Diocese of Noto posted an Staglianò also revisited the comments in an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica published Friday, saying, “I didn’t tell them that Santa Claus doesn’t exist, but we talked about the need to distinguish what is real from what is not.””A real fact has come out, namely that Christmas no longer belongs to Christians,” Staglianò told the paper, adding that “the Christmas atmosphere of lights and shopping has taken the place of Christmas.” He said “consumer culture” had obscured the true meaning of the festival, which was a message of giving — illustrated by the birth of the baby Jesus, who was “born to give himself to all humanity.”The apology concurred, saying at Christmas “we receive the Gift par excellence, Jesus Christ,” and suggested “showing up for someone we have been neglecting or ignoring for a long time or mending a damaged relationship” as a more meaningful gift.
