Vatican in ‘unprecedented’ challenge to Italian law

ROME: The Vatican confirmed on Tuesday it had lodged a diplomatic protest against a draft Italian law against homophobia, in what a news report called an "unprecedented" act of meddling in Italy’s affairs.

The so-called Zan law, currently being debated in Italy’s parliament, seeks to punish acts of discrimination and incitement to violence against gay, lesbian, transgender and disabled people.

According to the Corriere della Sera newspaper, the Vatican argued in a letter, or "note verbale", that the bill violates the Concordat, the bilateral treaty between Rome and the Holy See, by curtailing Catholic freedom of belief and expression.