Foto Reuters
According to Reuters, in the chapel of the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Lucina, located near the government headquarters, one of the angels on the wall painting had features similar to the prime minister. Logos Press has already written about this mishap.
The appearance of such an image hit the press and caused criticism from opposition politicians, as well as the displeasure of Cardinal Baldo Reini, who emphasized the inadmissibility of using sacred art for political purposes.
When the church was opened to the public, the fresco had already been altered: the angel’s face had been painted over, leaving him without a head. The parish priest Daniele Micheletti explained that the decision to remove the image was made because of its controversial nature and the excessive interest of visitors, who came more to look at the painting than to pray.
Artist Bruno Valentinetti, who was in charge of restoring the mural, confirmed that he had sketched the angel’s face at the Vatican’s request. Representatives of the Holy See did not comment, and the Roman diocese announced that it would later issue an official statement regarding the incident.
In addition, Cardinal Reyna expressed his condolences over the situation, and noted that sacred art and Christian tradition cannot be used for political or other extraneous purposes. He also ordered a thorough investigation. The Italian Ministry of Culture also took the incident under its control and launched its own investigation.
Recall that because of the restoration of this fresco in Italy there was a real scandal. Bruno Valentinetti himself, who was engaged in the painting, said that he simply restored the previous image and denies a deliberate resemblance to the Prime Minister of Italy.
