The Archbishop of Naples Crescenzio Sepe says polluters cannot take communion, reports the Huffington Post on Ucanews.
'Those who pollute are not in the grace of God and can not take
communion,' he said last week.
The remarks came in the wake of
revelations that local mafia had buried cancer-causing toxic
waste around the city, posing a health risk to residents, reports Adnkronos.
The Archbishop told journalists at the 10th International Forum of
the Christian environmentalist group Greenaccord, 'Our people have to be
told the truth about what has happened. But it is also necessary to
talk about all the positive things that have been done. It is time for
everyone to unite and continue to free our earth of poisons.'
Care for creation is something that Pope Francis has previously
tweeted about, stating: 'Care of creation is not just something God
spoke of at the dawn of history: he entrusts it to each of us as part of
his plan.'
This isn't the first time that clergy have banned people from taking
communion due to their stance on social issues.
In September, chief
justice of the Vatican Cardinal Raymond Burke announced that House
Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi should be denied communion due to her
support of the right to have an abortion.