Italian priest Father Alfredo Morselli has hit back against those who compare Jesus Christ to an illegal migrant, saying he was more akin to the persecuted Pakistani Christian Asia Bibi.
Many progressive and left-wing figures, including head of the Roman Catholic church Pope Francis, have compared the events surrounding the birth of Christ to those of illegal migrants entering Europe today.
But Father Morselli said he rejected the idea, explaining that “Christ was a persecuted person, more like Asia Bibi or Catholics betrayed and sold off to the Chinese government,” Il Giornale reports.
When asked about nativity scenes that featured migrant boats being set up around Italy, Father Morselli said: “For the anti-Christian creed, religion no longer concerns Jesus in himself, as it is, the Son of God, since the Gospels of his childhood are now considered a myth and we cannot know the historical Jesus.”
The Italian priest referred to Ms Bibi again in regards to persecuted Christians around the world during Christmas, saying: “I would say that as there was no place for Jesus in the hotel, there is no place for Asia Bibi in the Vatican.”
Salvini’s Italy to Promote Display of Crucifix, Nativity Scene in Classrooms — ‘Part of Our Heritage, Identity’ https://t.co/vEThCxrn1M
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Bibi, who was acquitted of blasphemy charges in Pakistan earlier this year, has been under constant threat of death along with her family and has attempted to apply for asylum.
While populist leaders like Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini and French National Rally leader Marine Le Pen have both expressed support for granting her asylum, the United Kingdom under Prime Minister Theresa May allegedly rejected her application claiming it could stoke tensions within the Muslim community.
Some priests in Italy have been critical — if not outwardly hostile — to Deputy Prime Minister Salvini. Father Morselli said that indications of the church forming its own political party to fight populism reminded him more of sharia than of the doctrines of the church.
On their opposition to Salvini he said: “The reactions… are emotional and without a shred of an argument.”
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