GETTY The school banned the word Jesus out of 'respect' for non-Catholics

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Headteacher Paola Bellini and her pupils were due to stage their December production next Monday, and students have been practising their repertoire of three Christmas songs for a number of weeks. However, in a controversial move that has outraged parents, the lyrics of one popular Christmas song has been replaced - and the word Jesus shockingly omitted. Pupils will now be singing from lyric sheets that read “because this party is for you" instead of the more traditional “because Jesus was born”.

GETTY The school is due to stage their December production next Monday

GETTY Parents were outraged by the controversial decision

Angry parents lashed out at the school, claiming Jesus’s name should promote unity and brotherhood instead of division and censorship. Even the priest of Pontevico, a small town in the province of Brescia, took a stand against the changes, saying: “Foreigners are welcome to know our culture, which we must not deny because it does not offend anyone." However Ms Bellini has hit back at the critics, claiming they are exploiting their children to push their political beliefs.

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It is not a show made for Christians only. It's a matter of respect. Headteacher Paola Bellini

She said: “Children will sing songs that evoke universal themes of peace and solidarity. 30 per cent of our students are not Catholic and this concert is open to all. “It is not a show made for Christians only. It's a matter of respect. "In our classrooms there are so many crucifixes and paintings depicting the Madonna, but in addition to these symbols, there must be others."

GETTY The head claimed the school was founded on the basis of multiculturalism