Climate activists disrupt Sunday Mass in Turin Cathedral

A group of climate activists disrupted a church service in Turin Cathedral on Sunday. As reported by the newspaper "Il Fatto Quotidiano" (Monday), several female members of the "ExtinctionRebellion" group interrupted the sermon during Sunday mass and read out texts from the environmental encyclical"Laudato si" and Pope Francis' exhortation"Laudate Deum".

The Archbishop of Turin, Roberto Repole (photo above), criticised the disruption of the mass and said: "I appreciate all those who are committed to the preservation of creation and take up Pope Francis' appeals (...) But I was displeased that they simply took the floor without speaking to me first or asking permission. In this case, I would have told them that we often pray for the integrity of creation during Mass, but that the celebration of the Eucharist is not a suitable place for public action." (KNA)