Madonna in mobile phone shocker

Italian priests were shocked to discover that a couple worshipping at a statue of the Madonna were actually charging their mobile phones.

The poor South American couple in Milan were impressing priests with their apparent devotion to the statue after visiting the church for an hour every day.

But the couple were less interested in the statue's spiritual charge. It was discovered that they were actually using a plug for lighting up the effigy to charge their handsets.

The couple were rumbled after a cleaner spotted the recharger plugged into the socket.

However, parish priest Don Antonio Colombo absolved them from any sin, and said that he would not bar the pair from using the statue's socket.

"They come here because they don't have a house," he explained. "The church is their house and letting them charge their mobile phone is a bit like giving them a glass of water."