Controversial Roman funeral draws hundreds

ROME, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- A funeral of an Italian man mired in a euthanasia controversy drew hundreds of people Sunday outside a Roman Catholic church that refused to have the services.

The BBC reported that since Piergiorgio Welby, who had muscular dystrophy, died Wednesday at a Rome hospital, his funeral has sparked a right-to-die controversy in Italy.

While an area judge had ruled that Welby's constitutional rights allowed him the right to have his life support discontinued, the local parish where his family wished to have services said refused based Catholic teachings against euthanasia.

Yet when Welby's family had the funeral in front of that church Sunday, hundreds of his friends and family, along with several parishioners, were in attendance to pay respects and support the family's decision.

The BBC said that many of those in attendance criticized the parish's priest for his decision.