On December 9th, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Noto issued an apology for Bishop Antonio Stagliano's comment regarding Santa Claus not being real after facing outrage from angry parents.
On St. Nicholas' Day, Stagliano told children at a festival where he was speaking that Santa Claus doesn't exist. He also added that the red color of the suit that Santa wears was chosen by the Coca-Cola company exclusively for advertising purposes. Rev. Alessandro Paolino, the Diocese of Noto's communications director, explained via Facebook that the bishop's “intentions were quite different.” Stagliano explained to a local news outlet in Italy that he had intended to help children “distinguish what is real from what is not,” clearly missing the irony that is apparent to non-believers. He emphasized that he wished to highlight the true meaning of Christmas in contrast to the modern commercialization that took away the holiday spirit. Roland. Toronto.
