CROTONE, Italy (LifeSIteNews) – The public prosecutor’s office in Crotone, Italy is considering “offence of a religious denomination” charges against a priest who offered Mass shirtless while waist deep in the sea.
Last Sunday, Fr. Mattia Bernasconi of Milan, Italy enraged faithful Catholics when photographs of him offering Mass shirtless while wading in the sea in Crotone surfaced on social media. While the Archdiocese of Crotone seems to have forgone any disciplinary action with respect to the irreverence, civil authorities continue to weigh their options as it is a criminal offence in the largely Catholic nation of Italy to offend a religious denomination.
According to a local report, Giuseppe Capoccia, the head of the city’s public prosecutor’s office, has said that an investigation into the “alleged religious celebration” is warranted, and has “delegated” the investigation to the Division for General Investigation and Special Operations, Italy’s secret police division, known simply as “DIGOS.”
While the civil authorities seem to be taking serious action, the release put out by the archdiocese fails to mention any disciplinary action against the priest, merely mentioning that Bernasconi should have made “contact with the ecclesial leaders” in order to receive advice on the “most appropriate way to carry out a Eucharistic celebration of this kind.”
LifeSite's Rome correspondent, Louis Knuffke, delivers four other LifePetitions to the Vatican:
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UPDATE (8/2/22): Cardinal Cupich has regretfully banned the Institute of Christ the King from offering the Traditional Latin Masses or hearing Confessions at their parish in Chicago.
An official sign from the Institute was posted at the Shrine of Christ the King, saying: “As of August 1, the celebration of public Masses is suspended. Confession times are discontinued. The Chapel remains open for prayer.”
Cardinal Cupich has forbidden the Institute of Christ the King to operate in Chicago (see image). This is very sad; Pope B16 said “it behooves ALL of us” to preserve the riches of the ancient Catholic liturgy. pic.twitter.com/rGkVC2XupF
— Watershed Staff (@ccwatershed) July 31, 2022
See LifeSiteNews' special report here.
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Sources have leaked to LifeSiteNews that Cardinal Cupich seems ready to completely ban a community of Traditional priests from offering the Latin Mass in the Archdiocese of Chicago!
July 31st appears to be the deadline for priests belonging to the Institute of Christ the King to close down all public Latin Masses — which would end their ministry in the Archdiocese of Chicago full stop.
This outrageous persecution against faithful Catholics is an affront to 2,000 years of Tradition and is the rallying cry for today's saints: We need brave and devout Catholics across the world to demand Cardinal Cupich respect the holy priests of the Institute of Christ the King and SAVE the Traditional Latin Mass!
SIGN: CARDINAL CUPICH MUST HEAR THAT CATHOLICS LIKE YOU LOVE AND SUPPORT THE TRADITIONAL LATIN MASS! >>>
The Institute of Christ the King has attracted national attention for its beautiful, reverent, and profound celebration of the TLM — all of which looks set to end in LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!
There are currently 18 ICKSP apostolates dotting more than 10 states in America — serving 400-500 faithful Catholics just in the city of Chicago with 3 Latin Masses every Sunday. With this rumored attack, Cupich — who also serves in high-profile Vatican positions — is sending a sign to all traditionalist priests worldwide.
This robust Catholic community is truly a jewel of Catholic Tradition — making it odd that the ICKSP might be the subject of censorship!
The Church hosts synods on synods on synods and pays millions of dollars to consultants to figure out how to get people interested in going to Mass and the end result is shutting down the Masses people literally beg to attend lol.
— Zac Mabry (@ZacMabry) July 15, 2022
As LifeSiteNews continued reporting...
"Cardinal Cupich, a close collaborator of Pope Francis and a promoter of the liberal agenda within the Church, has already issued restrictions regarding the traditional Latin rite within his diocese at the end of last year."
*** Catholics must defend and promote the Traditional Latin Mass before the potential July 31st deadline! ***
It’s important now more than ever to send a message to Cardinal Cupich that the Institute of Christ the King must continue its ministry of offering the TLM without fear of retaliation or hostility.
END OF JULY DEADLINE: SEND A MESSAGE TO CARDINAL CUPICH THAT YOU STAND WITH THE INSTITUTE OF CHRIST THE KING! >>>
— Joseph Zen (@CardJosephZen) July 13, 2022
The crackdown is expected to take effect at the end of July, when the Institute of Christ the King will be expected to celebrate the Novus Ordo Mass — in opposition to their vocational calling to protect the TLM.
This mandate is by design, but the ICKSP is currently holding strong. Catholics all across the world must tell the faithful priests of the ICKSP that we are praying for them and raising our voices!
RAISE YOUR VOICE: PROTECT THE TRADITIONAL LATIN MASS FROM CENSORSHIP! >>>
Thank you for committing yourself to the frontline fight defending Catholicism from the onslaught of the Cardinal Cupich’s modernist movement. It is moments like these that Catholics from all over the world show their true colors. Stand for TRADITION. Defend the Institute of Christ the King! Send a message to Cardinal Blase Cupich!
DEFEND THE TRADITIONAL LATIN MASS BY SENDING A RESOUNDING MESSAGE NOW! >>>
Return to Tradition also features the LifeSiteNews article mentioned throughout this petition.
Thank you for signing this petition and sending a message to Cardinal Cupich before the end of the month deadline.
Bernasconi, who was offering Mass for young Italians as part of a volunteer summer camp, initially justified his actions, saying it “was hot” and “the pine forest where we had thought of celebrating it [Mass] was full, and spontaneously the idea of celebrating it at sea came up.”
Since then, Bernasconi has slightly changed his tune, saying the decision to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was “perhaps imprudent.”
Nonetheless, Catholics remain outraged at what many are calling a “sacrilege.”
“They ban Latin Mass but this abomination is okay?” asked Catholic commentator Dr. Taylor Marshall.
“They ban Latin Mass but this abomination is OK?”
Dr Taylor Marshall Podcast: 846: “Priest Offers “Beach Raft Mass” on an Inflatable Raft – Dr. Taylor Marshall” with @TaylorRMarshall https://t.co/skDs6TtMp4 pic.twitter.com/DBPjTUPQYD
— Daniel (@dank33) July 27, 2022
“You can have Mass on rafts in the ocean, but how dare you have Mass with attention, reverence, and devotion,” retorted another Catholic, referring to the consistent crackdown on the Traditional Latin Mass by high-ranking prelates.
You can have Mass on rafts in the ocean, but how dare you have Mass with attention, reverence, and devotion. pic.twitter.com/pS2QKzUKxc
— Larry Betson (@LarryBetson) July 27, 2022
The shirtless Mass debacle is one of many controversies Italian clerics have found themselves in recently.
Just last month, another Italian priest flagrantly denied Church teaching by “blessing” a homosexual couple during Mass while an Italian Bishop earlier this year barred unvaccinated priests from distributing the Eucharist.