The Italian Bishops Conference responded on Wednesday to remarks about women made by Antonio Tajani and Roberto Vannacci, saying every gaze upon a woman should be one of respect. Italy prime minister debate now has a clear public religious response after comments from two political figures drew attention.
Giuseppe Baturi, the CEI secretary, said every word and every gaze directed at a woman must be filled with respect and admiration. He added that, for Christians, the first place where the Word became flesh was a woman's womb.
Giuseppe Baturi and CEI
Baturi also said respect is required toward men, women, children, and the elderly alike, but that it is especially necessary regarding women because they can be the object of superficial glances. The Italian Bishops Conference paired that line with a broader appeal for respect, giving the response a sharper tone than a generic statement of concern.
Antonio Tajani had said women who wore longer dresses made better mothers and tended to cheat less. Roberto Vannacci said he always preferred women without skirts. Those remarks, placed side by side with the CEI's response, show the exact point of friction: the bishops were not commenting on style, but on the way women are viewed and spoken about in public.
Antonio Tajani and Roberto Vannacci
Tajani is identified in the source as Deputy Premier, Foreign Minister and centre-right Forza Italia leader. Vannacci is identified as a far-right general-turned politician and National Future leader. The remarks from both men brought the exchange beyond party lines and into a broader public debate about respect toward women.
The wording from Baturi leaves little room for ambiguity. He tied the issue to conduct, not posture, and framed it as a matter of how words and glances treat women in public life. That is the standard the CEI placed against the remarks from Tajani and Vannacci.
Whether Antonio Tajani or Roberto Vannacci will answer the CEI's criticism is still open. For now, the bishops have set out their position plainly: women should be regarded with respect, and that judgment applies in speech as much as in appearance.
