Reuters in Rome are running with a story about two Italians in their 70's who arguing through an Italian court - 'Jesus -- and whether the Roman Catholic Church may be breaking the law by teaching that he existed 2,000 years ago'.
The two men come from the same central Italian town and even went to the same seminary school in their teenage years.
The defendant, Enrico Righi, went on to become a priest writing for the parish newspaper. The plaintiff, Luigi Cascioli, became a vocal atheist who, after years of legal wrangling, is set to get his day in court later this month.
Cascioli says Righi, (and the Catholic church), broke two Italian laws. The first is "Abuso di Credulita Popolare" (Abuse of Popular Belief) meant to protect people against being swindled or conned. The second crime, he says, is "Sostituzione di Persona", or impersonation.
He claims in his book 'The Fable of Christ', that the belief is based "upon the personality of John of Gamala," referring to the 1st century Jew who fought against the Roman army.
A court in Viterbo will hear from Righi, who has yet to be indicted, at a January 27 preliminary hearing meant to determine whether the case has enough merit to go forward.
The defendant, Enrico Righi said, "Cascioli says he didn't exist. And I said that he did. The judge will to decide if Christ exists or not."
Even Cascioli admits that the odds are against him, especially in Roman Catholic Italy.
"It would take a miracle to win," he joked.
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