The parish priest: “Those who are not vaccinated do not come to church”: controversy

The words of Don Pasquale Giordano, parish priest of the Mater Ecclesiae church in Bernalda, in the province of Matera, are discussed, who warned against attending mass if not vaccinated. In Bernalda, a municipality of 12 thousand residents that includes the marine fraction of Metaponto, there are currently 37 positive ones, 4 of which are hospitalized. Precisely to stem the spread of the infection, a vaccination campaign and tests with swabs are about to begin. “Given the spread of the infection from Covid-19, I strongly urge, especially children and young people, to carry out the verification swab and to join the vaccination campaign – wrote the pastor on Facebook – which will be held in the next few days. in the church and in the parish spaces, a recent swab or vaccine is welcome. To ensure safety for the most fragile people who attend the Church, I kindly ask those who have no intention of swabing or vaccinating to refrain from coming to the church. It is Christian charity to protect one’s own health and that of others. ” Words that have sparked numerous reactions, from the comments of approval of the parishioners to those of a very different tenor, written mainly by people who are not local, who accuse of alienating people or of wanting to impose the health dictatorship also in the church. ” I am serene, mine is an exhortation to get vaccinated ”, says Don Pasquale Giordano to the Adnkronos. ” Mine message is to protect fragile people – he adds speaking with Adnkronos – and among these there are mainly those who are not vaccinated. I wanted to invite the community to join the campaign organized by the authorities, making my own the concerns that are felt in Bernalda these days. I believe that my words have not been correctly interpreted, which is why many are writing. I certainly do not respond to insults. “” I read somewhere – he explains – that my words are against those who have not been vaccinated or do not swab. This is not the case, indeed it is precisely to protect those who are not vaccinated, therefore it is more fragile, that I wrote the message ”.