Rome, gay Swiss guards in a street art piece on church interference

Two Swiss guards exchanging a homosexual kiss, smiling: it is a new street art work that has appeared in Rome and bears the signature of Laika, known for her works that address the most pressing current issues. In this case, the artist focused on the Holy See’s statements regarding the Zan ddl: “The Secretariat of State notes that some of the contents of the legislative initiative,” reads a note, “particularly in the part that establishes the criminalization of discriminatory conduct on grounds ’based on sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity,’ would have the effect of negatively affecting the freedoms guaranteed to the Catholic Church and her faithful by the current concordat regime.” And again, the note continued, “there are expressions of Sacred Scripture and the ecclesiastical traditions of the authentic magisterium of the Pope and the bishops, which consider sexual difference according to an anthropological perspective that the Catholic Church does not consider available because it is derived from divine Revelation itself. Such a perspective is in fact guaranteed by the Agreement between the Holy See and the Italian Republic on the Revision of the Lateran Concordat, signed on Feb. 18, 1984.” The Holy See had been answered by Prime Minister Mario Draghi in the Senate chamber, saying that “Italy is a secular state. Parliament is certainly free to debate and more. Our legal system contains all the guarantees to comply with international commitments including the concordat. There are prior checks in parliamentary committees. There are subsequent checks in the Constitutional Court.”

Laika’s work was placed yesterday on St. Peter’s Station Street, a few meters from the Holy See. Along with the Swiss guards in a romantic attitude, a rainbow heart also appears in the background. The poster is meant to be an ironic summary of this week: the Church’s attempted interference (later retracted) in our country’s politics did not go unnoticed in the artist’s eyes.

“Today is Pride day in my city,” declares Laika, “and it is crucial to defend more than ever a bill like the Zan DDL that serves to protect so many, too many people, who are victims of hateful episodes. Anyone should feel free to love their neighbor without fear or apprehension. Those who say that the Zan decree will lead to a restriction of free speech show that they have not understood anything or, worse, they attach themselves to specious reasons to hide their homophobia. On this special day, let us love each other and, as ’someone’ used to say.... ’VOLEMOSE BENE’. Down with homotransphobia. HAPPY PRIDE TO ALL.”

Pictured is Laika’s work

Rome, gay Swiss guards in a street art piece on church interference

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.