The Vatican has refused to accept Marichkov’s credentials as ambassador. Archbishop Janusz Bolonek, Pope Benedict’s representative in Sofia, reportedly sent a copy to his superiors to alert them of its content. The book tells the story of illegal immigrants who flee to Rome from eastern Europe after the collapse of the Berlin Wall. It includes scenes where the main character prostitutes himself for 50 euros with a man he picks up on a Rome street.
Marichkov dedicated the book to his wife, children and God. The Vatican appears to disagree with one of those dedications.
Such books do not condone the crimes or acts of characters. They merely explore the social and economic realities for millions of people in the underclass. While Vatican officials note that ambassadors should be suitable “bridges” between nations, I would have hoped that guaranteeing free speech is one bridge that exists between the Vatican and Bulgaria. The novel details an all-too-familiar story of immigrants forced into prostitution by their dire economic conditions. It explores this reality on a personal level of the main character. To punish artists and writers for such expression is not building but burning a bridge to the West.
Source: Telegraph