Yesterday evening, the diocesan community of Oppido-Palmi in the province of Reggio Calabria was shaken by a disturbing event that took place in Varapodio at the end of a Eucharistic celebration in the parish church of Santo Stefano, when the parish priest, Don Giovanni Rigoli, was attacked by individuals who had attended the service.
The parish priest was jostled and headbutted, forcing him to seek medical attention at the hospital.
The attack was motivated by Father Giovanni Rigoli's invitation to attendees at a memorial mass for an elderly woman to pay their condolences outside the school, in compliance with anti-Covid guidelines.
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The authorities were promptly alerted, and the priest, who was immediately taken to the Gioia Tauro emergency room, is under close observation. The bishop of the diocese, Monsignor Giuseppe Alberti, strongly condemned the attack and expressed his sympathy for Don Giovanni: "We are deeply shocked by this act of violence against one of our priests. Attacks against members of the clergy not only harm the person involved, but also harm the faith and spirituality of our community.
Certain actions nullify the spiritual commitment of each individual, and when we allow such actions to prevail, we risk invalidating the very faith that unites us."
The Carabinieri are investigating the incident, having questioned numerous people and are close to identifying the two violent attackers.
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