Priest sparks controversy by wearing keffiyeh during Marian procession

Scandal is brewing in a small Italian town over a priest wearing a keffiyeh during a liturgical procession.

On 16 September, during the annual procession of the Madonna del Ponte in Lanciano, Father Alessio Primante drew attention by wearing a black-and-white keffiyeh, the traditional scarf that has become an international symbol of support for Palestine.

Father Primante, who serves as head of the Archdiocese of Lanciano-Ortona’s school chaplaincy and as chancellor of the Curia, walked in the midst of one of the region’s most important religious events with a keffiyeh draped over his cassock and cotta. The procession is the largest and most popular devotion in the diocese, attracting thousands of faithful who accompany the revered image of the Madonna through the streets in prayer and celebration.

The keffiyeh, while culturally Arab, has long been adopted as an emblem of the Palestinian struggle. For many it represents resistance and identity, though it has also become controversial, associated by some with political militancy and support for Hamas. Father Primante’s decision to wear it during such a prominent religious occasion inevitably stirred discussion across Italy.

Local broadcaster Telemax was the first to report on the gesture and noted that the priest had intended it as a sign of peace rather than political provocation. Father Primante explained to Telemax that the keffiyeh symbolised solidarity with those “living in fear in Gaza”, where hundreds of thousands of civilians "survive in unacceptable conditions”.

He described his act as a reminder that peace, justice, and fraternity must prevail, stressing that the Church must pray and work for reconciliation in the Holy Land.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, has also been photographed wearing a keffiyeh, though in a markedly different context. Unlike Father Primante, who chose to wear the scarf during a liturgical procession, the Patriarch has been seen wearing it informally over his cardinal’s attire in non-liturgical settings.

In Lanciano, where devotion to the Madonna del Ponte dates back centuries, the procession is typically a display of local faith and culture. The devotion has roots stretching back to the medieval era, when King Frederick III of Sicily, devoted to Maria Santissima Annunziata, entrusted lands near Altofonte to the Cistercians in 1306 in thanksgiving for favours received. The monarch’s generosity extended further in 1309, when he granted additional territories in the park of Partinico, an area previously devastated by Saracen raids. The Cistercian abbots were tasked with rebuilding the small town and fostering both civic and religious life, though significant development only began around 1430. Under their guidance, Partinico was repopulated, a civic identity was formed with its own coat of arms, and a small church was restored to provide for the king’s worship during his hunting expeditions.

The sanctuary grew in prominence over the centuries, undergoing expansions in 1774 thanks to royal support, and later becoming a focal point of gratitude in 1854, when the townspeople attributed their deliverance from cholera to the Virgin’s intercession. In 1861, the image was crowned in a grand celebration, cementing its place in the life of the community. With the Great Jubilee of 2000, the sanctuary was designated a site of pilgrimage, and a decade later it was formally linked to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, further elevating its spiritual significance.

The icon of the Madonna del Ponte itself has evolved over time, with successive copies replacing earlier versions damaged by age and humidity. The current painting, completed by Vincenzo Manno in 1819, depicts Our Lady enthroned, holding the Christ Child who reaches towards her, while she bears a heart in her right hand.

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