Defiant Italian priest refuses to repent after giving a masked left-wing protester the middle finger outside his Milan church

Father Giannicola Maria Simone, 65, threw open the doors of the Saint Alexander of Zebedia church to shelter tourists and passers-by until the chaos passed. A hooded youth then swore at him in the street, and he calmly returned the gesture. He insists repentance would only be needed 'if I had thrown a punch'. The clash came last weekend amid unrest across Italy inspired by the French riots.

He shrugged off the abuse: 'They're kids, so I'm not surprised.'

Simone tried to talk to the mob, but their answers were very vague.

One told him: 'We don't know why we're here, everyone came, so I came too.'