Pro-Salvini Priest: Walls and Borders Made Civilization

Father Giacobbe Elia, a Roman Catholic priest, has hit back at fellow clergy who have expressed pro-open borders sentiments, defending walls and borders.

In an interview with Italian media, Father Elia expressed a positive opinion on walls and borders, stating that both were crucial to the building of any civilization throughout history, Italian newspaper Il Giornale reports.

The parish priest also defended populist Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Matteo Salvini’s public display of the crucifix during the last election campaign, which had been widely criticised by other members of the church.

On the topic of migrants themselves, Father Elia said that the reception of migrants and asylum seekers, “must never be implemented to the detriment of security.”

Elia is just the latest member of the Roman Catholic clergy in Italy to come out in support of the migration policies of Matteo Salvini.

Last month, Monsignor Michele Crociata, an expert scholar of Islam, praised Salvini’s strong border policy, saying, “A sensible politician must guarantee the security of the nation and control of the situation.”

Crociata also defended Salvini’s public displays of faith saying, “Christian signs are beautiful both in private and in public. We have almost lost our Christian identity and if anyone remembers us, so be it.”

The pro-Salvini clergy members are likely outnumbered by other members of the church who are vehemently against the Lega leader and his strong migration policies.

Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro accused Salvini of “taking the name of God in vain,” earlier this year, claiming Salvini’s values, “have nothing to do with the gospel of Jesus” — while Catholic magazine Famiglia Cristiana went as far as comparing the deputy prime minister to Satan himself.

“The comparison to Satan seems in very poor taste,” Salvini said at the time, adding: “I don’t presume to give anybody lessons and I am the last of the good Christians, but I don’t think I deserve that.”

Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com