The President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella is in Assisi to participate in the celebrations for Saint Francis, patron saint of Italy. Which becomes a national holiday again. Welcoming Mattarella were Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano, the President of the Umbria Region Stefania Proietti, with the Council, the Mayor of Assisi Valter Stoppini and the custodian of the Sacred Convent of Assisi Fra Marco Moroni.
"In this season we are tempted and seduced by the culture of power, vulgar and invasive, deceptive, the result of misplaced emphasis and of brazen and enormous economic interests, of nationalisms that ruin nations, of campaigns that create the enemy instead of seeking what unites". The card says so. Matteo Zuppi celebrating from Assisi on the feast of Saint Francis: "His and ours - he adds - is a world marked by terrible wars" but "Francis reminds us that war is not a destiny". "There is no time to waste, the divider cheats and makes people believe that we find peace with weapons and not with dialogue and law". "Laudato si' - says Zuppi in the homily - because Brother Francis continues to give us peace and to teach us to be peacemakers, to bring it where there is violence, hatred, misunderstanding. He stripped himself of everything to be disarmed. It does not mean yielding, accommodating, irrelevant at all. The opposite! Brother Francis disarms the wolf by calling him a friar and, being a friar for him, negotiates with him, for Gubbio and also for the wolf, gives him back to himself and to the community to take care of him". "Saint Francis - he continues -, precisely because he was clear about who he was and what he believed in, he was not afraid to meet everyone and to be close to anyone, not with the sword, but with dialogue, a brother without arrogance and distance. He helps us in this threatening time to understand that only together do we find the answer and only if peace is with everyone is it truly peace. He only asks for humble operators and humble architects of peace who, with courage, help us live together, strong in law and not imposing law by force. Saint Francis it does not indicate a love reduced to a vague, ineffable idea, which asks for nothing, falsely reassuring for those who try to save themselves, but a love such as true, total love for everyone".
"President Mattarella gives us a great, great gift, we really wanted his presence and he gives it to us on behalf of all of Italy": thus Friar Marco Moroni, custodian of the Sacred Convent of Assisi, on the feast day of Saint Francis, which is celebrated in the Umbrian city in the presence of the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella. "It is a truly special day for Assisi, it is every 4th October but even more so this year", he underlined. The custodian then recalled the meaning of the offering of oil for the votive lamp that burns in front of the Saint's tomb. "This year it is truly the whole of Italy - he underlined -, not only metaphorically, which donates the oil for the lamp that is in front of Saint Francis. We are all together, united, to remember Francis, who is truly the saint of all". A message which, according to Fra Moroni, also transcends national borders. "Francis is not just from Italy, he is truly from the world", he added, also underlining the significance of the presence of the ambassadors in Assisi. "We open up on a universal level - reiterated the custodian of the Sacred Convent - from the particular, with the mayor of Assisi lighting the lamp, to the universal. Because Francis' message is for everyone".
The mayor of Assisi Valter Stoppini lit the votive lamp that illuminates the tomb of St. Francis, in Assisi. He did so on behalf of all the Italian regions, provinces and municipalities during the mass celebrated in the Upper Basilica by the president of the Italian bishops Matteo Zuppi, in the presence of the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, the undersecretary to the Presidency of the Council Alfredo Mantovano and the President of the Umbria Region Stefania Proietti. "We express the love that all Italians have for you and we implore your constant protection" said Stoppini, addressing Saint Francis. "Keep watch, holy brother Francis, over our people - he added -, enlighten the rulers, watch over the fate of Italy. Strengthen the bonds of unity, solidarity, brotherhood. Bless all the workers and give them and their families prosperity and peace".
