A Black Priest’s Experience in Rural Tuscany

Rev. Vincent Souly, a Roman Catholic priest who has served the mountainous province of Prato in central Italy for 15 years, recounted a recent visit to a 90-year-old parishioner, Carlo Martini, in a hospital bedroom. While asking the patient how he felt, Souly’s voice was described as “a bit too loudly,” prompting Martini’s wife, Renza Giagnoni, to comment that the scene resembled “the United Nations.” Souly interpreted the remark and other references to him as a “prete di colore” (priest of color) as reminders of his perceived otherness despite his Italian citizenship.

New York Times

Born in Burkina Faso and raised and ordained in the Ivory Coast, Souly later acquired Italian citizenship and chose to remain in Prato, where he has built warm relationships with predominantly Italian parishioners. He is one of the few Black faces in the province’s clergy, a fact that shapes both his ministry and his sense of belonging.

New York Times

Souly explained that, in his view, being identified by his country of origin—first as an “African priest” and more precisely as “from the Ivory Coast”—is more respectful than being labeled by skin color. He likened the difficulty of being fully accepted to an African proverb: a piece of wood, however long it stays in water, never becomes a crocodile. The priest noted that even his Italian passport does not automatically erase the subtle distinctions made by parishioners.

New York Times

Souly’s reflections highlight the nuanced challenges faced by minority clergy in predominantly homogeneous regions of Italy. While he remains committed to his parishioners, his experience underscores ongoing conversations about cultural identity, integration, and the language used to describe religious leaders of diverse backgrounds.

New York Times