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Young Italian aspiring model and TV presenter, Noemi Letizia is seen in this photo taken from Facebook. [CFP]
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The very public unraveling of the Berlusconi-Lario marriage has fascinated Italians but greatly distressed the country's Roman Catholic bishops.
On Tuesday, Avvenire, the newspaper of Italy's bishops conference, ran a scathing front-page editorial criticizing both Lario and Berlusconi for airing their dirty laundry in public, demanding some "sobriety" -- particularly from the premier.
"We know that a man of government will be judged for what he does," it read. "But the human makings of a leader, his style and the values that fill his life, aren't indifferent. For this reason, we continue to ask for a premiere who with sobriety knows how to be the mirror of the best parts of the soul of the country."
Berlusconi deflected the criticism, denying he was losing the support of Catholics as a result of the spat.
"Once the reality is cleared up, there will be an ... improvement in relations with the Vatican, which has never had such good ties with an Italian government," Berlusconi said.
Despite the acrimony, Berlusconi said that all he wanted was a "sea of goodwill" with Lario.
Lario's attorney, Maria Cristina Morelli, told the ANSA news agency that she planned to work "serenely" and with "maximum correctness" on the separation, while trying to maintain good relations with Berlusconi's side.
