Bishop Rosario Gisana contested by Enna: accused of covering up sexual assault on minors

Last Updated: October 11, 2024

A group of about fifty people belonging to the group “I do not accept preaching from those who cover up abuse” protested with a purple cloth on their mouths in front of the new church of Santa Lucia in Enna, where Bishop Rosario Gisana of Piazza Armerina is performing the consecration. The protest is related to the case of priest Giuseppe Rugolo, who was sentenced on March 5 to four and a half years for aggravated sexual violence against minors. The group is made up of practicing Catholics and lay people, who are asking for “a clean church and a decision from the Vatican regarding Gisana’s position,” who in a police-intercepted conversation with the priest who was later convicted, said, “Now the problem is not just yours. The problem is also mine, because I have covered up this story.” Today, a pass issued by the parish priest in previous days is required to enter the church and attend the service.