The Italian soldiers of Unifil donate, and put back in its place, a Crucifix of the same size as the one hammered by an Israeli soldier in recent days. First the statue is blessed by the apostolic nuncio Monsignor Paolo Borgia. A symbolic gesture, but very significant for the small Maronite Catholic community of the village of Derbel, for Southern Lebanon and for the whole country. In fact, in a scenario of devastation and death, religious symbols continue to be a message of unity and strength for all believers. «The Crucifix is a sign of love for the little ones and the poor, for the excluded and the abandoned», the Italian military ordinary Monsignor Gian Franco Saba immediately declared, «it is a sign of reconciliation between God and men, and of men among themselves». The bishop thanked “the soldiers of the Italian contingent of Unifil, led by General Diodato Abagnara” and the chaplain Don Ciprian Farcas, who accompanies them spiritually, who had the idea of donating and placing the “new Crucifix, a visible sign of a humble, continuous and silent service for the benefit of all” and recalled that «John XXIII reminds us that the Crucifix, rather than carrying it only aesthetically on our chests, must instill in us the effort and joy of trusting abandonment in God».
Finally, he thanks «how many, with generous dedication and a spirit of service, they bear witness every day to the strength of the Gospel and the beauty of trusting abandonment in God. Their silent and faithful presence is a precious gift for the community.”
