Permanent Council of the Italian Bishops’ Conference
Welcome to refugees, the need to “build bridges” of dialogue, the protection of the family are the three focal points of Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco’s prolusion of the Council of the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI), in harmony with the magisterium of Pope Francis, that in May will open the bishops’ assembly. “What image is Europe giving of herself” regarding the inflow of migrants, on which Italy is “in the frontline”, Bagnasco said. His Eminence pointed out that the parishes and ecclesial structures currently welcome 45 thousand migrants. On the theme of paedophilia the Italian Church has put into practice the guidelines of the Holy See. “Building bridges” and also “giving a clear answer” to the “threats” coming from the “public arena”, are the twofold commitments of believers in the political arena. Critical aspects include attempts of equating the family with “para-marriage situations” and the tendency to want children as if they were “commodities”. “Horrifying murders motivated by curiosity.” In urban “anonymous neighbourhoods” ecclesial communities should be guiding “lights.”
Next May the Pope will open the general assembly of Italian bishops. The announcement was made by Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, archbishop of Genoa, CEI President, renewing an established custom and underlying a special harmony, in his opening speech at the Permanent Council of Italian Bishops, ongoing in Genoa, which will be the venue of the national Eucharistic Congress September 15-18. Reception to refugees, the need to establish “bridges of dialogue”, along with the protection of the family were the three focal points of the Cardinal’s prolusion, in full harmony with the magisterium of Bergoglio.
The CEI president opened the “small parliament” of bishops with the hottest topic on the global agenda: “Four thousand two-hundred people have died since the beginning of 2015, 330 of them were children who perished in the Aegean Sea.”
“What picture is Europe giving of herself?” was the question sounding as an accusation.
“Our Country has always been at the forefront” in the reception of refugees. “The Italian Church continues to make a contribution through the parishes, religious institutes, organizations such as Caritas and diocesan offices for the migrants.” As many as 45 thousand immigrants have been welcomed by the Church in our Country, “including those who are arriving via humanitarian corridors”, but now “we must pass to a stage marked by veritable integration processes. These processes require honesty, short time, rules, good will and confidence on the part of all.”
We are currently facing a sort of “bubble”, a “climate we all breathe, and that wants to change the elementary categories of humanity.” “This climate, that is aggressive towards those who think differently, loudly exalts democracy and freedom, but on the condition that nobody crosses pre-established boundaries”, was the analysis of the CEI president. This again underlines the relevance of the recent Ecclesial Congress in Florence and the lesson of the historic speech of the Pope.
Addressing the question of abuse on minors, Bagnasco pointed out that “Italian bishops have been among the first to rigorously implement the instructions of the Holy See with regard to verifying the charges and establishing the penalties, and have strengthened recovery facilities as well as the prevention criteria.”
“To build bridges”, and “to give a clear answer to the threats emerging in the public debate.”
For Cardinal Bagnasco, this twofold commitment encompasses “the specific contribution of the faithful in the building of our common society.” “Only a strong moral conscience can master power and can prevent man from falling at its mercy,” warned the Cardinal ,who asked: “Is there still something that is conceived as intangible amidst average sensitivity?”.
The second phenomenon “we are all called to address”, is the gradual disintegration of the social fabric.”
“Our Christian communities also have this task: in the anonymous neighbourhoods of our cities we must act as small lighthouses, places of welcome, points of reference. Human relations must be rewoven, so that everyone may feel at home even outside their homes.”
“Let us extend our glance, since no Country is an island.” His third invitation: “The Middle East, just as the nearby African shores, are experiencing situations of confusion, upheavals and violence. Yesterday’s bloody terror attacks in Turkey and the Ivory Coast are emblematic. The questions ensuing therein are not without motivation. Indeed, they suggest – also in the light of past responsibilities – not thoughtless adventures but cautious reflection.”
The family is “the pillar of societal relations, the greatest venture and solidarity capital, a treasure that must not be weakened or dispersed with ungrounded homologation, by treating in the same way different realities.” Whilst underlining this point Cardinal Bagnasco highlighted the contraction of contemporary debates, whereby
“on the one side cultural differences are being reaffirmed, whilst on the other the same differences are denied at legislative level, by creating de facto para-matrimonial situations.”
“The family is based on marriage”, underlined the CEI president, echoing the words of the Pope and Kirill: “it’s time for a great responsibility, to ensure that everyone may access employment, have a family and enjoy the welfare state, especially young people who have the right to have a family of their own.” Once again, Bagnasco launched a cry of alarm over the demographic winter, confirmed by ISTAT (the National Statistics Institute), “the worst since the unification of Italy.” “The family and employment are two concrete areas that the population are viewing with increasing concern.” “These are the urgent issues that people want the political realm to address day and night, in order to adopt concrete measures that are direly needed.”
“While we reaffirm along with a large part of the population that having children is a beautiful, legitimate desire, we also believe that children’s rights should not become a right for just anyone, as children are not commodities that can be manufactured.”
The cardinal reiterated: “This all the more true given that certain so-called rights turn out to be accessible only to the rich to the detriment of the poorest brackets, especially women and their bodies”, he added, without explicitly mentioning surrogate motherhood. “Love does not justify everything. Children are entitled to have a mother and a father”, was the indirect reference to the ongoing debate on civil unions. It is necessary “to simplify and accelerate adoption procedures, in order to meet thousands of requests of adoption before several hundreds of children eligible for adoption.” “Aggressive therapy is one thing, while euthanasia and assisted suicide are something completely different”, His Eminence specified addressing another controversial theme in the realm of bioethics.
“Assassinations out of curiosity” – as happened in Rome – represent the umpteenth “horrific sign of the dramatic educational flaws that are worming their way through, claiming their toll.”
The cardinal concluded: “It is necessary to ask ourselves which world we will pass on to the next generation, but it’s equally urgent to ask ourselves which humanity we will be leaving in our world!”
