Italian comedienne faces 5 years in jail for pope joke
Sabina Guzzanti, noted for her sharp satirical wit and lampoons of the powerful, is accused of "offending the honour of the sacred and inviolable person" of Pope Benedict XVI at a rally in Rome in July at which opposition leaders accused Silvio Berlusconi, the Prime Minister and media tycoon, of passing ad personam laws to protect his own interests and avoid prosecution for alleged corruption.
Speakers at the rally on Piazza Navona also protested against excessive interference by the Vatican and the Catholic Church in Italian affairs, from abortion to gay rights. Ms Guzzanti, noted for her satirical impersonations of Mr Berlusconi, told the crowd that within 20 years Italian teachers would be vetted and chosen by the Vatican.
She added: "But then within twenty years the Pope will be where he ought to be, in Hell, tormented by great big poofter devils — and very active ones, not passive ones." Giovanni Ferrara, the Rome prosecutor, said that he had asked Angelino Alfano, the Minister of Justice, for permission to proceed with a prosecution.
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- toshiba
- added this
- added September 11, 2008
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I can't believe laws like this still exist in Italy.
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- joshuaheller
- 10 months ago
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Check out the story I clipped 2 months ago, the day after the comedienne gave her controversial speech.
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Oh yeah, Catholics are way more civilized then those pesky Muslims.
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i swear the pope just gave me a dirty look
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Authoritarianism is growing fast in Italy - or fascism frankly...such a beautiful country is turning so ugly.
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Why is it against the law? Does the pope have low self esteem?
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- cheeseAndCrackers
- 10 months ago
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Woah. What century is this again?
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Talk about a tough room! I guess it's a good thing they still don't have the Inquisiton. Maybe they're considering bring it back now?
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Fuck Italy. When did they return to fascism? Why?
I wasn't paying attention and then bam, Benito is back in charge.
What the Fuck?
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The pope is a man, not God. Fuck the pope!!
He can't get me to heaven, and he is no better than me."No one can get to the Father,except by the Son"
GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!!!!!
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The pope wears his vestments to conceal the children hiding beneath them.
Oh, wait, I'm in AMERICA and I am protected by the bill of right. Italy, I guess you have no rights.
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- toiletduck
- 10 months ago
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Anyway Italians do it better
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One time on a forum I made a joke about the pope and I got into lots of trouble.
Overly sensitive people are the worst people in the world. No one could be worse. Maybe a serial killer....maybe.
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I thought the pope was a joke
I'll look the other way during slavery
I'll look the other way during the holocaust
I'll ignore all war and judeo/christian vs. Muslim crusadesBut don't tell a joke about me
WTF
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Wow. I had no idea Italian policies were this harsh. I guess that's something to think about..
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- Gina_Marie
- 10 months ago
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How many popes does it take to change a light bulb? I do NOT want to go to jail so I won't tell you!
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This showcases the reasons for seperation of the state. It seems we are not the only country with issues of God and Country.
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- RockFlagAndEagle
- 10 months ago
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What the hell is happening to Italy? How can something like this happen in the 21st century?
It's times like this I'm glad to live in the U.S. We may have a lot of problems, but no one has ever been arrested for something like that.
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I think this is absolutely outrageous, but remember that some years ago, Berlusconi managed to get one comedian and two journalists off the air because they were criticising his goverment and his self-made laws.
I don't think Sabina Guzzanti will actually go to jail, it is just a move to assert the Church's authority. But still, I hope that the nation will stand up to defend the comedienne's intelligent and thought-provoking satire.
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Can't the Pope take a joke?
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- futurehempfarmer
- 10 months ago
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So Jenna Jameson, Pope Benedict and a midget walk into a bar....
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- rabidlemur
- 10 months ago
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5 years? is that what the pope calls christ's mercy? he's full of crap and a former nazi what do you need to know?
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- Enjoy_Cannabis
- 10 months ago
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See what happens when a hitler youth gets elected pope.
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She be a witch! Burn her at the stake!
So you know, this kind of religious conservatism is what caused 9/11.
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- FallenMorgan
- 10 months ago
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Isn't Europe meant to be known for being reasonable???? Religion really can be quite ridiculous, at that rate maybe they will bring back stoning.........
