A Roman Catholic diocese in Sicily publicly apologized to angry parents after its bishop told a group of children that Santa Claus did not exist.
Bishop Antonio Stagliano did not mean to comment, but to try to emphasize the true meaning of these comments Christmas Rev Alessandro Paolino, the communications director of the Diocese of Noto, said that Saint Nicholas is the story of a bishop who gave gifts to the poor and was persecuted by the Roman emperor.
Italian news reports quoted Stagliano on a recent religious holiday as saying that Santa Claus did not exist and his red costume was made by Coca-Cola for publicity.
Paulino wrote on the diocese’s Facebook page on Friday: “First of all, on behalf of the bishop, I regret this statement that disappointed the children, and want to show that the intentions of the bishop of Stagliano are completely different.”.
“Of course we can’t destroy the imagination of children, but learn from them good examples that are good for life,” he continued. “So Santa Claus is an effective image that conveys the importance of giving, generosity and sharing. But when this image loses its meaning, you will see Santa Claus aka consumerism, eager to own, buy, buy and buy again. Then you have to re-evaluate it by giving it new meaning.”
However, if there are any signs in the public comment section of the Noto page, then the Sicilian parents have no signs.
While some welcome the bishop’s attempt to focus on the Catholic meaning of Christmas, others accuse Stagliano of interfering with family traditions and celebrations and destroying the spirit of children who were disrupted by the pandemic in the early years.
A commenter named Mary Avola wrote: “You have proved that when it comes to family, children and family education, you don’t understand anything.”
