Pope writes to people of Genoa
one year after collapse of Morandi Bridge
 |
| The remains of the Morandi Bridge in Genoa (ANSA) |
Almost a year has passed since the collapse of the Morandi
Bridge, which caused the death of 43 people. Pope Francis remembers that tragic
day in a letter sent to the Genoese newspaper "Il Secolo XIX", also
published in other newspapers of the group Gedi News Network.
Amedeo Lomonaco - Vatican City
A wound inflicted on the heart of Genoa, "a tragedy for
those who have lost their relatives", "a shocking event for those who
have been forced to leave their homes living as displaced persons". In a
letter to the newspaper "Il Secolo XIX", Pope Francis recalls the
dramatic moments experienced by "families who left or returned from their
holidays, men and women who were traveling for work. The Pope did not forget
that tragic event and offered his own prayer:
“I want to tell you that I have not forgotten you, that I
have prayed and pray for the victims, for their families, for the wounded, for
the displaced, for all of you, for Genoa. In the face of events of this kind,
the pain for the losses suffered is piercing and not easy to alleviate, as is
the feeling of not resigning oneself in the face of a disaster that could have
been avoided.”
Above all, we must pray
Pope Francis writes that he has no "pre-packaged
answers" because in the face of certain situations "human words are
inadequate".
“I have no answers, because after these tragedies we have to
cry, remain silent, question ourselves on the reason for the fragility of what
we build, and above all we have to pray.”
Do not erase memory
The Pope then has a message that flows from the "heart
of father and brother": "Do not let the events of life break the
bonds that weave your community, erase the memory of what has made its
history so important and significant. I always think of the port when I think
of Genoa. I think of the place from where my father departed. I think of the
daily toil, the stubborn will and hopes of the Genoese".
God doesn't leave us alone
From the Pontiff, there is also the exhortation to turn our
gaze to Jesus, who "passed before us through suffering and death".
"He was despised, humiliated, beaten, nailed to the cross and barbarously
killed". God's response to our pain, the Holy Father observes, "was a
closeness, a presence that accompanies us, that does not leave us alone".
"Know - adds the Pope - that God our Father has responded to our cry and
to our question not with words, but with a presence that accompanies us, that
of His Son". "Let us look to Him, let us entrust to Him our
questions, our pain, our anger.
"We are men and women full of defects and weaknesses,
but we have a Merciful Father to turn to, a Crucified and Risen Son who walks
with us, the Holy Spirit who assists us and accompanies us. We have a Mother in
Heaven who continues to lay her mantle on us without ever abandoning us."
Do not lose hope
In the letter, Pope Francis also stresses that the people of
Genoa are "capable of great gestures of solidarity", do not give up
and know how "to stand by those in greatest need.”
“I would also like to tell you that you are not alone
because the Christian community, the Church of Genoa, is with you and shares
your sufferings and your difficulties. The more we are aware of our weakness,
of the precariousness of our human condition, the more we rediscover the beauty
of human relations, of the bonds that unite us, as families, communities, civil
society."
"After a great tragedy that has wounded your families
and your city - concludes Pope Francis - you have been able to react, get up,
look ahead. Do not lose hope, do not let it be stolen. Continue to stand by
those who have been most affected.”
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét