Don Vitaliano Della Sala

Don Vitaliano Della Sala calls himself “The Disobedient Priest” and he praises the essential role of disobedience in an unjust society. He runs a “virtual parish” in Italy, having been removed from his assigned parish in 2002 for his activism. Activities such as marching in the Gay Pride parade and his many demonstrations against globalization did not sit well with the Catholic hierarchy. His main causes at the time of this interview were the plight of Kurdish refugees, aid for the survivors of the August 2016 earthquake in central Italy, and speaking out against sexual abuse in the church. His aim is to be “a parish that remains close to the homes that populate the global village—online.”

I asked Vitaliano, “How do you reconcile the obedience of being a priest with the disobedience you practice?”

Vitaliano’s understanding of one of St. Augustine’s most important teachings is that ‘when a law is unjust, to disobey is an obligation.’ This gave me a new understanding of faith. In order to live a life devoted to something bigger than my own ego, I have to be on the lookout for injustice and I must publicly, not just privately, oppose it. I remember being an “ally” to my LGBTQ+ friends for many years, but not being willing to speak out against jokes being made about gay people. Or even closer to home, I remember hearing people joke about or stereotype Jews in my workplace and I did not speak up because I didn’t want to rock the professional boat. Now, I know that if I withhold speaking out, a part of me dies because it has to live in conflict.

This portrait of Vitaliano in front of the magnificent edifice that is the Vatican reminds me that I have to speak out against unnecessary accumulation of wealth when others are hungry and dying or abused. So today I will ask myself: “Am I vocal and visible enough in my disagreement with injustice? Am I willing to compromise my own comfort to help others?”

I realize that I have not been caring enough for those left behind by the new economy. And I also realize that I must be relentlessly in opposition to anything that even hints at discrimination, not valuing every human life, and the life of our precious planet. Vitaliano’s portrait reminds me that I must be vigilant with any injustice.