Random neural activity

Today two different and basically opposed rallies are taking place in Rome. Debated topic is a law that would allow couples that decide not to marry to get some basic legal recognition.

In Italy, as of today, after maybe a life spent together unmarried people do not have the right to assist in hospital their partner that gets severely ill. They’re just not family, so please stay out of the way. They cannot have their say. Economic benefits are, likewise, just for married couples.

Italian society has been changing over time, like everywhere else I’d guess, so unmarried couples are a reality, and on the rise. Many people have therefore been asking for a new law, that is currently being discussed by congressmen, and the Catholic Church started a huge and aggressive campaign against recognizing rights for anything that’s not the holy marriage.

But we have a problem here: the Italian Republic is a secular state, grants religion freedom but does not endorse any religion. It’s a basic principle of the Constitution. The Pope and the upper management (that’s what it really is) of the Catholic Church claim they are not pressing or interfering with politicians, but the fact is that a foreign head of state (the Pope, in Vatican City) is telling Italian congressmen how they must vote on this.

And this is what I found outrageous. If there’s something I really can’t stand is people pretending to tell me how to live my life. If you believe and feel like marry, well go on, nobody is going to stop you. But don’t even think of choosing for me. And I want to be able to assist my partner if we’re in need, regardless of what you think.

And as for economic benefits, I’ve never heard of the Pope taking care of those. Guess what, it’s my tax money being spent.