A popular Catholic priest, fr. Kelvin Ugwu has reacted over a post made by a Nigerian – South Africa base, Charles Awuzie on his facebook page about a historical Christian executioner known as Giovanni Battista Bugatti.
Meanwhile, Charles Awuzie partly shared a brief post about a Christian Executioner known as ‘Giovanni Battista Bugatti’ who executed 516 people in his reign as chief executioner.
In his post;
“The Robe and Axe of a Christian Executioner called Giovanni Battista Bugatti whose job was to execute people on behalf of the Pope for the state of the church.
“Executioner Giovanni Battista Bugatti was given a total of 516 assignments by the Pope.
“The method of execution was by the axe 🪓.
“When he retired, the Pope paid paid him a regular pension.
“He worked in the ministry of Grace and Justice of the papal State.”
However, Fr. Ugwu in his first reaction to Awuzie’s post, shared a detailed content after his attention was drawn by his followers who felt being attacked by their Catholic faiths.
His post;
“One of the hardest things to study is history. This is because in other to understand any story of the past, it will require you to put yourself in that past. You must learn, compare, and contrast, everything that happened years before and after that particular event you are studying. Unfortunately, not many of us are really ready to go down that road.
“The story of Giovanni Bugatti is not new. He was not the first executioner, and neither was he the last.
“What the author of this post did is known today as “flashing news.” As you know already, “flashing news” often comes in a sensational way that invokes more of emotions than reasoning. I guess that was why the author initially restricted those that will comment on the post. . . I guess he was getting more backlash from religious folks, especially Catholics. That is expected. Naturally, once people feel attacked, they will incline to attack back.
“I read some comments where the author was asking people to use Google and make research if in doubt. That is good, but it is also important we remember that it is often what you are looking for that you will see in Google. Research is strenuous. Researching history is even more strenuous. An average African doesn’t have that patience. This is why sensational headlines are still undefeated in our time. Sensational headlines are not lies per se, but they don’t tell you the whole truth.
“So, for those mentioning my name or writing me via inbox, and those following him who are interested in keeping to his advice on making further research, let me give you a guide so that it will help you objectively arrive at what you are looking for.
“1. You need to research Papal States first. You should understand how the era prior to the separation of religion and states worked. Understand that there was a time, for example, in which being the Bishop of Lagos is the same as being the governor of Lagos. That background knowledge will help you.
“2. You must take your time to understand capital punishment, a history that cuts through even during the time of the Old Testament. When was capital punishment abolished? Study how different civilizations, states, and countries carried out capital punishment or its equivalent. Study France or you can start from Africa if you like. How did your great-grandfathers punish someone who, for example, killed another person?
“3. Then on the issue of Giovanni Bugatti, he meticulously kept records of the 516 people he executed. He recorded their names, the date of execution, the crime they committed, the manner of execution, and their last words before they died. The document is in the public space, try to read it.
“4. It is easier to say he was given 516 persons to kill. The person telling you that refused to give you the time frame of the executions. As I said, such write-ups are intended to invoke emotions. But try putting it in perspective. 516 persons were executed between 1796 to 1864, which is 68 years period. Meaning on average, it was about 7 to 8 executions per year (365 days).
“5. If you do what I pointed out in number 3, you may open your mouth in shock. For example, a particular victim who was executed on the 9th of October 1805 was condemned for the crime of killing his wife and her lover. Another victim was Tommaso Grassi, who killed his brother-in-law because he refused to lend him money.
“Research and read through what crime each of the 516 persons committed. . . So you balance your judgment. As I said, put it in the context of the era where capital punishment was still allowed and some civilization was even using electrocution.
“6. For those in this post who are already passing judgment and condemning everyone who is Catholic, try to remember that if some of you have your way, you would have burned R. Kelly to death. I remembered how people on this social media already cut off the penis of Pastor Biodun in their heads because of the rape allegations from Timi’s wife. The point is, we humans are the same. Capital punishment was cruel in handling criminals, but I can assure you that in years to come, the next generation will consider life imprisonment as the cruelest way to punish a criminal. They will create another means, and consider all of us evil.
“7. I know I am a Catholic priest, so it is important I let you know that this post is not about trying by all means to defend the church. I am not like that. Again, I do not fly with sensational headlines. If you claim the church should have known better and acted better, you are right. But you should also not forget that knowledge is progressive. The people at that time thought they were doing the right thing to free the world of criminals. Remember that even St Paul did not outrightly condemn slavery. This is the almighty Saint Paul o. . . But call him today to write to Philemon again, I am sure he won’t be that gentle with him for even daring to have Onesimus as his slave.
“8. Meanwhile, if you do your research, you will see that the method of execution was not only by an axe. There was beheading with a guillotine, or even hanging.”
Fr. Ugwu also went further to some Christians who always get emotional and insulting whenever Catholic Church is being mentioned. He questioned why some Christians are always mad to Catholic over Giovanni Bugatti who executed 516 criminals and not mad at Elijah who executed 450 prophets of Baal in one day, even David who killed many in the Bible and also cut off the head of Goliath and many other stories in the Bible.
“Some Christians easily get emotional and will start sounding insulting the moment a particular history of the Catholic Church that they don’t like is talked about.
“They are mad at the Catholic church because someone told them that Giovanni Bugatti executed 516 criminals in 68 years period, but they forget that Elijah executed 450 prophets of Baal in one day (1Kings 18:40). They are not mad at that one at all.
“How many persons did David kill? Did he not cut off the head of Goliath? Don’t we celebrate it?
“Think about the annihilation of the Amalekites by Saul in 1 Samuel 15. What about the Canaanites under Moses and Joshua in Numbers 21, Deuteronomy 20, and Joshua 6?
What about the flood, since we were told that only Noah’s family survived?
“For lying, were Ananias and Sapphira in Acts of the Apostle chapter 5, not struck dead? Lying o. . . This same lying that we all are doing freely.
“See, if we go into history, what we will see won’t be that palatable. But still, studying history is strenuous. As I said, it will really demand you remove yourself totally from the present generation you are and transport yourself back to hundreds or thousands of years before you. In that way, you will see things the way they saw them.
“I bet you, many generations after us, will condemn some of the things we are hailing today as justice. They will look at some of the punishments we give to criminals as lawful and call us barbaric.”
