A play dedicated to former Italian porn actress Moana Pozzi has been staged in a Catholic parish-owned theatre in Milan, Italy, prompting protests from parishioners and criticism of the parish priest’s response.
From December 15–18, the play Moana – Porno Revolution had been staged at Teatro Fontana in Milan, a theatre annexed to the 16th century sanctuary of Santa Maria alla Fontana, after the parish priest, Father Maurizio Lucchina, said he had been assured by the theatre’s management that the production did not contradict Christian morality, a claim strongly disputed by parishioners and Iustitia in Veritate, a Catholic lay association.
“I was assured by the theatre’s director that the show does not conflict with Christian morality,” Lucchina told La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana, adding that “the parish is only the owner of the walls” and that “the reference to Moana Pozzi is only in the title.”
Teatro Fontana is located within the architectural complex of Santa Maria alla Fontana, a renaissance sanctuary built in the 1500s and still today a destination for pilgrims because of its historic spring. As is common in many Italian parishes, the theatre space has been entrusted to an external management company through a formal agreement, under which the company oversees cultural programming while paying rent to the parish.
According to information published on Teatro Fontana’s official website, Moana – Porno Revolution is described as “a comic masterpiece” that returns to the stage “with the intact force of its poetic and unconventional gaze.”
The production, however, triggered an immediate backlash among members of the parish and from the Catholic association Iustitia in Veritate. The group issued a press release on December 13, denouncing the choice to host a show that, according to the theatre’s own promotional material, celebrates Moana Pozzi as an “icon of the forbidden” with an “irreverent and poetic gaze” and emphasizes that “laughing is exciting.”
Parishioners interviewed by Catholic media expressed strong dissatisfaction with what they described as a lack of oversight by Church authorities. They argued that the parish could not disclaim responsibility simply by noting that the theatre was managed by a third party, especially given the religious and historical significance of the site.
The contrast between the priest’s position and that of the faithful became sharper after video excerpts from the play circulated online. Clips lasting several minutes show explicit verbal references to sexual acts, including oral sex, as well as dialogue directly addressing themes of sin, hell, and divine judgement.
According to Iustitia in Veritate, one video excerpt includes the performer addressing Moana Pozzi with the words: “You were never afraid of the judgement of God, you were never afraid of going to hell.” Parishioners argue that these publicly available materials contradict the assurances reportedly given to the priest and undermine claims that the show is morally neutral or merely symbolic.
The decision to stage Moana – Porno Revolution represents the latest Italian instance in which such arrangements have led to conflict between clergy, who may rely on contractual assurances, and parishioners, who expect Church-owned spaces to reflect Catholic moral teaching.
As of the final scheduled performance on December 18, neither the parish nor the Archdiocese of Milan had announced any formal review of the agreement governing Teatro Fontana or of the events surrounding the play.