The face in the restored painting, reminiscent of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, was " removed. I've always said that if it were divisive, we would do it ," said the parish priest of San Lorenzo in Lucina, Monsignor Daniele Micheletti . "And then there was a procession of people who came to see it ," the priest continued, " not to listen to Mass or pray ... it wasn't possible."
The operation was carried out by the fresco's author and restorer, Bruno Valentinetti , who confirmed in an interview with Repubblica: " I covered it up because the Vatican told me to ." "Last night," he explained, "I erased it. I don't care. I keep saying it wasn't the prime minister, but the Curia wanted it that way, and I erased it."
In recent days, as the news spread, Cardinal Baldo Reina, Vicar of Rome, himself emphasized the diocese's irritation with Valentinetti's initiative: "In renewing the Diocese of Rome's commitment to safeguarding its artistic and spiritual heritage," he clarified, "we firmly reiterate that images of sacred art and Christian tradition cannot be misused or exploited, as they are intended exclusively to support liturgical life and personal and community prayer."
The Special Superintendency of Rome then activated archival research to identify documentation of the original fresco and carry out the restoration.
(Unioneonline/vl)