Blasphemies banned

The northern Italian town of Brignano Gera d’Adda, in the Lombardy region, recently passed a municipal ordinance banning the use of bad words and phrases in public. Among the banned profanities are those using the words ‘God,’ ‘Jesus,’ and ‘Mary’ in vain. ‘We live in a Catholic country and we would like that all places of worship and recreation are maintained with a certain respect and decorum,’ said Valerio Moro, Brignano Gera d’Adda mayor. The ban on cursing and blasphemous phrases in public and business premises followed an effort spearheaded by the local administration and led by the conservative party Lega Nord.