At the Sanctuary of Montevergine with trans people: "Bergoglio understands us, the church listen to it"

Article by Iacopo Scaramuzzi published in the newspaper La Repubblica on February 4, 2024

Sanctuary of Montevergine (Avellino). When a ray of sunshine pierces the clouds, the crowd is crossed by a thrill, as if the Madonna had responded to the invocations. The Feast of the Candelora, the blessing of the candles that symbolize Christ the light of the world, overlaps ancient traditions that scrutinize the first clues of spring on this day. On Mount Partenio a freezing wind blows, on the edge of the road there are heaps of snow. And when in the atrium of the abbey a blade of light falls, the sound of the drums and the "chestnuts" multiplies.

Tammurriata explodes, the volume of the choir rises, "Oi Ma-Ro-Nna!". The Sanctuary of Montevergine, in the province of Avellino, as every year is crowded with a crowd of feminielli, gay, trans. This year, however, something has changed.

"Pope Francis I admire him, he is a man who has decided to get involved, to risk the criticisms of some ecclesiastical environments," says Tommy Mellone, aka Nanà Vaiassa, a cabaret artist specialized in "Tombole Scostumate". "Many hide behind the masks, instead he did not, he understood the true sense of the love of God who created us all the same."

In recent months Jorge Mario Bergoglio has clarified that Transsexuals can act as godmothers of baptism, authorized the Blessing of homosexual couples. The African bishops protest, Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, Ratzingerian Doc, speaks of blasphemy. "If we took two thousand years to have a pope who has had mental openings," comments Seraphic Tommy Mellone, "we give time at the time: these people are taking their path, they will surely get there ... where there is God there is love".

The "Juta (Guenda) dei Femminielli", a typical Neapolitan figure, well accepts in society and irreducible to other categories of homosexuality or disguise, has its roots in past centuries.

"It is a tradition that recalls the 600 legend of two homosexuals who, condemned to die of cold on Mount Partenio, were saved by the compassion of Mary", explains Adriana Valerio: "Since then, in her, homosexuals, feminine, transgender, we would say today, find reception and refuge", continues the historic of Christianity: "Mary is the mother who all welcomes."

From the early hours of the morning a crowd rises to the sanctuary with the funicular from Mercogliano. In the past the tradition was more harvesting, today there is a little folklore. There are the feminielli, there is the bus of the Trans association Napoli, there are curious, faithful, militants from all over Italy. There is Vladimir Luxuria, the Karma B, the Italian-American queer artist (indeed, "Irpinia-American") Summer Minerva. We go up along the steps of the church, accompanied by the dishes in stretch, each step a prayer, the candles are turned on, pray to the icon of the black Madonna, "Mamma Schiavona", black as the color slaves, the mother who all welcomes without discrimination.

A little pilgrimage a little gay pride, the anniversary had its accidents. Don Vitaliano della Sala, parish priest of Mercogliano, a note of progressive Catholicism, remembers him well. "In the two thousand, during the Jubilee, I participated in the Gay Pride in Rome and the uproar succeeded, Cardinal Sodano intervened, John Paul II from the window did not did my name but almost, I was suspended for a period ... On the occasion of the candlestick the abbot of the time made such a hard homily that he spoke of the expense of feminielli from the temple.

A week later what we called feminiello Pride was organized here. I found myself for lunch with the abbot and the older monk, Don Romualdo, ninety -two years old, asked him: "Have you always come, do you notice this year?". Clearly, "concludes Don Vitaliano," had had pressure from Rome ".

Today from Rome, another air spirates and the people of the feminielli records the sums carefully. How does the Pope see it? "I see him well," replies Brigida, "old feminine of Naples", 77 years old and a black turban: "He has a pure heart, brings faith, and then does not use jewels, the velvets, he is not on the chair, he gets the old shoes fixed". The resistances of the conservatives? "But in the Church half are all like us," Brigida smiles, "with the vice".

Gerardo Amarante breaks out laughing when he feels that according to the bishops in Africa there are no homosexuals. "But cums if he says they don't exist, poor people!", Exclaims this Neapolitan who leads the pilgrimage songs to the sanctuary. "In the church there is still bigotentism, we hope that they listen to this Pope a little," continues Amrarante: "Before, both the family and the church were more closed, now many of us have come out in the open".

Earrings and a shoulder bag, Francesco, 21 years old, is another generation. Homosexual, in his parish he has always felt accepted. For him the Pope's decisions are "a beginning". Does anyone speak of blasphemy? "We - he says - we pray to Madonna di Montevergine that we are increasingly accepted".

The candlemower, explains Professor Adriana Valerio, "is the festival of light of faith beyond the darkness of the discrimination". Don Vitaliano has his doubts. At Christmas he made a nativity scene with two Madonne, "it was a way to say that there is no longer one Holy Family but there are many". He received 26 thousand protest emails and calls of insults. "If there is no room for the fraternal comparison in the Church - he says - the schism that the Pope fears already is already there".

Ciro Ciretta, who guides the procession of feminielli with a turquoise flower scarf, appreciates Pope Francis, "he is having a nice path, he knows how to stay in history", he says. «But it is unlikely that the Church suddenly changes: he cannot do it, he has two thousand years of history. We must pray for the Pope, to stay close to him, because he is taking a very difficult path ». And then better to prevent the bad surprises, "why do I know - says Ciro Ciretta - that tomorrow Chest if Susa and says n'Atru in?", "Tomorrow gets up and says another thing?".