Roman Catholic Church Holds Funeral with Nazi Salutes & Swastika Flag Draped Coffin

St. Lucia in Rome has become the epicenter of a religious scandal. Footage from a funeral service showed the casket covered in a Nazi flag, while attendees did fascist salutes shouting, “Presente!”

The Catholic Church has tried to distance itself from the event publicized by the Italian online news portal Open. The Vicariate of Rome described the proceedings as ”ideological and violent exploitation … unacceptable for the church community of Rome,” adding that the Third Reich’s flag is “a horrendous symbol irreconcilable with Christianity."

Local media identified the deceased as a 44-year-old woman, former member of the extreme right-wing, neo-fascist Forza Nuova group.