Ah the pope – the dear dear man.
Cristina Vai, 55, a teacher for 30 years, was disciplined after several parents complained that children had come home sobbing and frightened.
They said they were scared of her graphic description of battles between good angels and the Devil from the Book of the
Apocalypse.
The school suspended her; she was shocked; she wrote to the pope to tell him about it; she got a reply within days.
In the letter Monsignor Peter Wells, an assistant with the Pope’s Secretary of State, said: ‘The Holy Father thanks you
with all his heart for your faithful gesture and for the sentiments that have inspired you.‘His Holiness also sends you from his heart an Apostolic Blessing which he also extends in particular to the young children in the class.’
The pope thanks her for scaring the crap out of children by telling them – in school, where they expect to be taught things that are true – a lot of scary shite about the devil.
Her fight for reinstatement has also won the backing of her local MP, Fabio Garagnani.
He said: ‘I hope that with this letter from the Pope matters will be cleared up and it will become obvious that her lesson
was in perfect accordance with Catholic teaching.’
Because as long as a particular bit of frightening horrible crap is “in perfect accordance with Catholic teaching” then it’s just fine to thrust it on children in a school, where they expect to be taught things that are true. Never mind that it’s both hateful and bullshit; it’s in perfect accordance with Catholic teaching.
The head of the school has some sense though.
School principal Stefano Mari said: ‘This was not an easy decision to make. We had parents complain that their children were scared by the way she explained the lesson and so after discussions she was suspended.
‘I am aware of the letter from the Vatican but I don’t see what difference it makes. My decision was based solely for the
benefit of the children but the teacher has decided to make it an issue.’
Excellent! A letter from the Vatican should make no difference. Quite right; well said Signor Mari.