Many have posted the speech of the US vice -president JD Vance at the Monaco security conference. I read it, with concern and discomfort.
Rightly recalls the retreat of Europe from its fundamental values: the convictions to the anti -abortic activists, for example. Rightly asks for safety and containment of emigration out of control. Many then posted his speech to National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington. Where he explains What does it mean for him to be a Catholic converted into public life, speaks with joy of the request for baptism of his son, with pain of the persecution of Christians.
He says that Pray for the Popespeaks of grace, of his being an imperfect Christian, but of pursuing the common good. Increase the discomfort, why how to blame him? But The sense of a out of tune remains. Why Defending children in the maternal belly and deport immigrants to the wall with Mexico out of mind. Why invoke peace e Attacifying with contemptuous violence the exhausted president of a country in the tune war. Why peace without justice and truth does not exist And Vance lied, like its president.
The definition of peace that Tacitus puts in the mouth of the king of the Caledoni, attacked by the power of Rome, comes to mind: “They do the desert around and call it peace.” I know that De Gasperi He went to Mass every day, as well as Andreotti. I know that Schumann had a clear faith And its cause of beatificationas for the Italian statesman. But nobody judged their policies by counting the number of prayers and the times they went to the confessional.
The distinction between City of God and city of men has been a doctrine since the time Sant’Agostino, faithful to the word of Jesus “To Caesar what is of Caesar, to God what is of God”. And even to that “not who shouts Lord Lord …”.
There is to reason then what it means to be a leader when you are men of faith. I don’t like the word leader, too much Trumpian flavor today. What does it mean to be authoritative, Casti (ie intact, not “pure”) doing politics, because there is a need, because there are no courageous Catholic personalities, Ready to put your hands in the dough, to operate for the common good. There are, but they do not speak with authority, they are not points of reference, they do not illuminate the road. Every now and then they aim with goodwill policy schools for young Catholics, which then the parties ignore; Convents for current meetings are rented, rather than to educate the commitment and launch new protagonism.
For too many decades politics has meant power and that’s it, for too many years it seemed a dirty thing, with the hypocrisy of the Pharisees who did not touch the money, but supported those who extort the people. Humility has been confused with humiliation, forgetting the task of being unknown salt, of being lamp not under moggio. Talents are a gift and must be cultivated, because God will ask us to account. It is not enough to shield himself, saying no to everything, retiring in sacristy to save his soul. Today more than ever to the advance of dark powers there is a need for a loyal, bold and clear presence, according to the magisterium of the Church. Staying looking is a fault.
(Image at the top: JD Vance, Ansa photo)
