Man accuses priest of illegally claiming Jesus existed

LAWYERS for a parish priest have been ordered to appear in court next week after the Roman Catholic cleric was accused of unlawfully asserting what many take for granted - that Jesus Christ existed.

The Rev Enrico Righi was named in a 2002 complaint filed by Luigi Cascioli after Fr Righi wrote in a parish bulletin that Jesus did indeed exist, and that he was born of a couple named Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem and lived in Nazareth.

Mr Cascioli, a lifelong atheist, claims Fr Righi violated two Italian laws: so-called “abuse of popular belief” in which someone fraudulently deceives people; and “impersonation” in which someone gains by attributing a false name to someone.