"I don't regret what I did, it was a gift from God."

Words of Don Antonio Scala, the priest who in recent days resigned from all his ecclesiastical roles in Ischia because of an affair with a married parishioner . "I don't know the future, I hope to continue with this woman because we love each other," he added, interviewed by phone by Storie Italiane on Rai1.

"For me it was something very strong," he says, "otherwise we would have drifted apart like after a walk, you go to your house, I go back to mine and we hide everything. But we didn't succeed. We can deceive men, but God in the end sees everything and knows everything. I thought about going to the bishop and telling him 'I did this' and taking responsibility, it takes a bit of time for everyone ." "I love the community," he concluded, "I carry everyone in my heart, I hope they don't distance themselves from the Church. But this is my life, my choice that has nothing to do with them. I'm not going back, I'm done now and I don't feel like being a priest anymore. A confession wouldn't be enough, it takes a conversion."

The 41-year-old woman, with two children, left her husband a few days before Christmas to be able to live her love with Don Scala: she had met him in church and after a while the relationship began, which, according to some witnesses, has been going on for some time. A few days ago the epilogue, which quickly became public knowledge.

On Sunday, Monsignor Carlo Villano, bishop of Ischia, celebrated mass in the parish of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Alphonsus Mary de'Liguori, which until a few days ago was run by Don Scala. The religious ceremony was concelebrated with the new parish priest, Don Carlo Busiello. After the mass, the bishop added to the microphones of the reporters who interviewed him: "A few days ago, Don Antonio told me what happened and his intentions: we tried to accompany him in this moment, I hope that now he can find the dimension of listening and discernment with himself and with the people involved in this affair; this must be the moment of listening, silence and prayer. No one can judge others and I do not feel like judging Don Antonio. Let us pray for the family involved, hoping that everything can be resolved and resolved according to the wishes and for the good of all."

(Online Union)

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