Catholic Church ‘mortified’ by ‘arrogant’ Berlusconi

The Roman Catholic Church says feels “unease” and is “mortified” by recent revelations about the private life of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

|PIC1|The Church condemned Mr Berlusconi’s behaviour as “arrogant” in its Italian Bishops' Conference newspaper.

The criticism will worry Mr Berlusconi’s political party who rely heavily on the Catholic vote in the country. However, latest reports indicate that his behaviour has not greatly damaged his approval ratings.

The past few months have been a torrid time for Mr Berlusconi’s public image with numerous allegations arising about his private life. In particular, speculation has been rife about an alleged relationship between the prime minister and 18-year-old Noemi Letizia.

In a news conference last week, Mr Berlusconi dismissed criticism of his private life, saying he had nothing to apologise for and no skeletons in his cupboard.

The continuous scandals however have only moderately damaged the prime minister’s popularity, as he still has a 49 per cent approval rating and a majority in both houses of parliament.