An Italian church outside Rome has stopped offering 'holy water' to worshippers because the parish priest fears it is being stolen for satanic rituals.Walter Palombi, the parish priest at the Santa Maria Stella Maris church at Fiumicino, on the outskirts of the capital, said the water is no longer provided for people to bless themselves.
"We fear that the water is being stolen for satanic rites. So we decided to remove it," said Walter Palombi, quoted by Italian daily Il Messaggero.
Instead the church is placing flowers in the basins where the water was held and many worshippers think the move is "extravagant".
"We asked ourselves for a long time why he had done it. We thought Father Walter wanted to give a personalised touch to the church," said Bruno di Carlo, from the neighbourhood committee of Isola Sacra Nuova.
"In reality, poor thing, he was forced to do so. He is a very good man, he had tried everything."
For many days, Palombi had tried to catch the thieves who were stealing the church water. Several chalices and tablecloths used on the church's altar have also disappeared.
"We have motives to believe that these are used to for a 'black mass' (satanic mass). Usually the person who carries out these practices needs items that are 'blessed' as well as holy water," said Palombi.
The parish church, Santa Maria Stella Maris was built in 1959 and is located near Rome's international airport on the outskirts of the capital.
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