At a conference last week organized by the local Muslim community, Abp. Matteo Maria Zuppi, recently appointed to head the archdiocese, seized the opportunity to express his sympathy toward the Muslim community by calling for a mosque to be built in Bologna.
He also asked for the accommodation of Muslim festivities in Italian schools. Quoting Cdl. Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan — a cleric with similar sympathies — Zuppi said, "I really think it's time for a mosque in Bologna. Some people think otherwise but they are wrong."
"I also wish Islamic celebrations to be welcomed in schools," he added, "as already requested by archbishop of Milan Angelo Scola."
Paraphrasing Pope Francis' controversial remarks regarding US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his stance on immigration, Zuppi added, "Those who say they stand for security usually create more problems. ... To build walls only creates the illusion of security. Walls are not equivalent to security."
Zuppi also asked for "the construction of bridges between cultures — to love our communal house means to love it and leave it open to others, to integrate them."
He continued, "We shouldn't be carried away by hateful generalizations, like the comparison between Muslims and terrorists."
Source: Church Militant