«Is it too much to dream that weapons will fall silent and stop bringing destruction and death? May the Jubilee remember that those who become “peacemakers will be called children of God” (Mt 5.9). The need for peace challenges everyone and requires us to pursue concrete projects”. Thus we read in the bull announcing the next Jubilee, Spes non confundit.
The days we live make that word resonate in us: question. I’ve always wondered and I’m wondering these days: but when the Second World War was preparing, the concentration camps, did ordinary people feel challenged? You can’t say he didn’t know.
How did the parishes, the priests like me, for example in Germany, live those years? Did the normal pastoral care continue, the well-organized liturgical celebrations with an appropriate number of candelabras on the altar? Of course we have countless testimonies of opposition to the war even with martyrdom. We know it well.
But the vast majority? Today we are faced with a crescendo of wars, massacres, massacres and bombings. Weapons, weapons, weapons. These are the words we hear from the powerful, who are seen autographing missiles, bombs, or going to the UN and violently denigrating it. If we leaf through the newspapers we see photos of the powerful people of the various parties. There are no people, people, peoples.
There is a diabolical plan that tries to convince us that war is the only way, and that there are indeed deaths, but they are not that important, they are “collateral effects”.
If you are against arms to Ukraine then you are pro-Putin. If you criticize Israel you are anti-Semitic and pro-Hamas. Imagine if you display the Palestinian flag. In this climate, the European Parliament voted to send weapons to Ukraine to also attack Russia within it. All the powerful Europeans tell us to prepare for war, even if perhaps not imminent.
Nuclear weapons are not considered as the possible end of humanity, but as “something” that must be cared for, fed and supported at great expense.
Defense Minister Crosetto has asked for another 7 billion euros to purchase new F-35s, to go from the 90 planned to 115. Can all this and much more be considered normal? A situation that seems to have no end or purpose. “Whoever does not shout with the Jews cannot sing Gregorian chant,” wrote the theologian Bonoheffer in 1938.
Today, how many people are in the conditions of the Jews of that time? We are witnessing genocides, massacres, bombings and violence of all kinds, including against migrants. It is true that with bill 1660, the security bill, it will always be difficult to express dissent with the liberticidal restriction it brings. But we can’t look the other way!
Can we continue to “sing Gregorian chant” as if none of this is happening now? Or the war, the weapons, the migrants will remain just a speck Pope Francis? He is the one who asks us to know how to cry in front of the many dead, and already at the Redipuglia Shrine on 13 September 2014 he said: «Even today there are many victims. How is this possible? It is possible because behind the scenes there are interests, geopolitical plans, greed for money and power, there is the arms industry, which seems to be so important.”
There is a real risk of looking at the world as a fan. And what is right or wrong depends on the color of the shirt. But here the shirt that should count is humanity. And peace, or war, cannot just be a topic treated in an aseptic manner by the characters in suits and ties who on the various newscasts, with a smile on their faces, try to convince us that ultimately war is a great opportunity, it moves resources, generates profits. Certain! Very true. In fact, how many weapons are we selling to Israel and making ourselves complicit! And also the long-range missiles approved by the European Parliament, as he writes Tonio Dell’Olio in the editorial of Peace mosaic of October, «they are a 37.5% Airbus, 37.5% Bae System and 25% Leonardo production… Those missiles could not function without the consent that Italy is called upon to provide since Alenia provides the technology for locate, track and hit the programmed target.”
How many deaths are needed to say: enough! To reach a ceasefire? But does this situation today really challenge the political world? The pastoral care? The life of our communities? Or does a lot of indifference, habit or resignation still prevail? Someone told me in recent days that perhaps we will notice the war when products start to run out in supermarkets, when there won’t be the possibility to choose between dozens of different brands.
So will we notice? But it will perhaps be too late. There are those who ask the Church to speak more. And who instead asks the bishops not to be interested in these things. As he said Don Tonino Bello, challenged as bishop because he invited conscientious objection, guest on the TV show Samarkand in 1991: «What should bishops do? Take care of the color of the vestments or the number of candles to place on the altar?”.
