Monsignor Antonio Stagliano bishop of Noto 
edited by Brandon Scott
Bishop Antonio Staglianò of the Diocese of Noto in the Italian island region of Sicily left parents dismayed after he told a group of children that Santa Claus did not exist, subsequently sparking a week of backlash from parents and international media.
After Bishop Staglianò’s comments on the Christmas character caused controversy on social media, the diocesan spokesman said the bishop did not want “to break the charm of Christmas for little ones, but to help them reflect more deeply”.
Interviews
In multiple media interviews given after the comments, the bishop stated that “he did not tell them that Santa Claus does not exist, but we spoke about the need to distinguish what is real from what is not real. So I gave the example of Saint Nicholas of Myra, a saint who brought gifts to the poor, not presents”.
Bishop Staglianò said he was trying to make a point about the commercialisation of Christmas and the figure of Santa Claus as seen in Coca-Cola commercials, which he argued takes away from the “culture of gift” at the foundation of the real message of Christmas: that “the baby Jesus was born to give himself to all of humanity”.
The Diocese of Noto’s communications manager wrote in a statement posted to Facebook that, “on behalf of the bishop, I express my sorrow for this declaration which has generated disappointment in little ones”.
“If from the figure of Santa Claus (originating from Bishop St Nicholas) we can draw a lesson — everyone, young and old — it is this: fewer gifts to ‘give’ and ‘consume,’ more ‘gifts’ to share, rediscovering the beauty of feeling that we are ‘all brothers,’” he said.