A nativity scene in a village church in Italy, which depicts the two mothers of the baby Jesus instead of the traditional figures of Mary and Joseph, has sparked outrage among Italy’s conservative Catholics and politicians, Reuters reports.

Protest action in Italy for the recognition of birth certificates of children with same-sex parentsPhoto: Mauro Ujetto / Zuma Press / Profimedia

Nativity scenes are popular in the predominantly Catholic country, but in recent years they have become increasingly embroiled in culture wars as its society secularizes and becomes multicultural.

The priest of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Capocastello di Mercogliano, a village in the province of Avellino about an hour’s drive east of Naples, defended the depiction of the birth of Jesus.

“I wanted to show with this scene that families are no longer just traditional,” Father Vitaliano Della Sala told Reuters, according to News.ro.

“In our parishes, we see more and more children of new types of families that exist and are part of our society, children of separated and divorced people, same-sex couples, celibates, young mothers,” he emphasizes.

A priest known in Italy as a supporter of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and left-wing people says his position coincides with that of Pope Francis, who this week made a historic decision to allow priests to bless same-sex couples.

Conservatives consider this image of a nativity scene “blasphemous”

Senator Maurizio Gasparri from the Forza Italia party, which is part of the government coalition, believes that this nativity scene in a gay interpretation “offends all those who have always had respect and devotion to the Holy Family.”

The Pro-Vita & Famiglia association condemned the “dangerous, shameful and blasphemous” nativity scene.

She launched an online petition asking Archbishop Avellino to intervene, denouncing the fact that the nativity scene contradicts the Church’s teaching on the family and legalizes same-sex fathers and surrogate mothers.

The petition quickly gathered more than 21,000 signatures.

Surrogate births are illegal in Italy, and parliament is debating a draft law initiated by the government that would criminalize couples who use surrogate mothers abroad.

This week, a senator from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Maloni’s Fratelli d’Italia party proposed a bill to ban school principals from banning Catholic-themed activities, such as Christmas plays or banning nativity scenes in schools, after another scandal.