ITALY: A 67-year-old Capuchin monk was a prisoner of his own parishioners yesterday after faithful in a small central Italian town bricked him up inside his monastery to protest at plans to close it.
When locals heard Franciscan leaders wanted to close the monastery because of a shortage of priests, they rebelled, bricking up one entrance and barricading the others.
"I consider myself a prisoner of love," Father Emilio Cucciella said from inside the monastery in the small down of Trasacco, in the mountains about 60 miles east of Rome.
"I can see outside, but I can't go outside. There's some loud talk outside about what the future should hold for me and for this church," he said.
Father Cucciella's church, known as the Madonna of Perpetual Succour, is one of only two parishes serving the town of 6,000 residents.
Parishioners began their protests three days ago, and although some of the bricks were removed yesterday morning, locals remained on guard outside.
"We Capuchins have been here since at least 1570. St Francis himself passed through here in the early 13th century. I have to obey orders but I can understand why they are upset," Father Cucciella said.
He said he was ready to go on a hunger-strike in solidarity with the townspeople. He was passing the time praying and reading, "and luckily I don't suffer from claustrophobia."