"What led my father to live such a difficult life as that of a Catholic lent to politics? The answer is: his love for his neighbours, the expression of the love of life, and his wish to do good for good’s sake. Politics was in fact his way of loving". With these words, Maria Romana De Gasperi recalled her father Alcide the evening of 24th March, during the tribute and prayer in memory of the statesman, to mark the end of the second day of the Congress promoted in the capital by Comece for the fiftieth anniversary of the Treaties of Rome. In the Church of San Lorenzo al Verano, where De Gasperi’s funereal monument is located, the congressmen listened to Maria Romana telling her memories: Alcide’s deep faith "never let him understand intolerant extremism", said his daughter, who added: "No glory or abandon or ungratefulness or political defeat could ever stifle his spirit". "Jesus, Jesus concluded Maria Romana were his last words, but for us death had the light of a birth". At the end of the prayer for De Gasperi, said by card. Attilio Nicora, president of Apsa (Administration of the Heritage of the Apostolic See), every congressman took a lit candle to De Gasperi’s tomb, and the German-speaking participants began to sing the Hymn to Joy, that was then sung in the main European languages.
