The Roman Catholic Church has blocked a plan to put atheist slogans on buses in Italy.The campaign, which follows a similar one in Britain, had caused controversy in the deeply religious country.
Adverts reading 'The bad news is that God doesn't exist. The good news is that you don't need him' were due to appear on vehicles on the streets of Genoa.
The city was chosen because it is home to the head of the Italian Catholic Bishops Conference Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, an outspoken opponent of artificial insemination and gay marriage.
Cardinal Bagnasco was said to be 'furious' about the proposal and told his officials write to the bus company and advertising firm in charge of the £13,000 campaign to express their opposition.
The is said to have been 'delighted' when he was then given the news that at the last minute the campaign had been cancelled.
A spokesman for the Italian Union of Atheists and Rationalist Agnostics, which organised the campaign, said yesterday: 'It appears that buses can carry campaigns for underwear and holidays with no problem but if you ask for space to say God doesn't exist then you are denied.'
In Britain, the £140,000 campaign had posters saying: 'There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.'
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(Source: TTUK)