Coffins remain unburied in Palermo
The Catholic church in Palermo makes an alarm about the coffins that cannot be buried. Photo Archdiocese of Palermo
Southern Europe
As a result of the high number in Covid deaths and an administrational backlog, hundreds of coffins remain unburied in the Italian place Palermo. As many as 800 caskets are stored in mortuaries awaiting burial, Palermo Today recently reported.
Earlier, the caskets, piling up since the autumn of 2019, posed a health danger because of a heatwave in the country. The high temperatures caused leakages and bursting coffins, making burial even more urgent, the news portal Ansa reports.
Igor Gelarda, head of the Lega, fears that the 800 caskets only show the tip of the iceberg. "For two days, it was impossible to proceed with the burial of bodies", he points out to Palermo Today.
The Archbishop of Palermo too pleaded for more cemetery space to bury the dead with dignity, Catholic News Agency reported. He paid a visit to a mortuary on All Soul's Day.
He pointed out that "hundreds of our dearly departed have not even found a decent burial place for a long time because of human neglect and the ignominy of those who want to make money even in the most decisive and disruptive moment of the mystery of life, which is death." With the last statement, the bishop referred to suspected corruption of the cemetery management.
Also, Gelarda argues that the management system of the cemeteries is corrupt. The management of the cemeteries is subject to several judicial investigations because of bribery and the alleged absenteeism of public employees.
