The power of writing

When the Sumerians, more than 5,000 years ago, invented or produced the first wax tablets with cuneiform writing, they perhaps were not aware that they were among humanity’s greatest benefactors. Yet writing evolved, spread throughout the whole earth, and enabled humanity to grow not only in numbers, but also in humanity itself through the possibility of communicating, narrating, and transmitting from one generation to another and from one people to another wisdom, knowledge, culture, and more recently science. All these things help human beings in the development of their greatness and of that unity which has always been the enemy of Evil, hatred, and hostility, and the friend of everything that fosters Peace, which is necessary for life. Human beings are the only living creatures capable of using writing to transmit their culture, their love, and their plans; this is why they are unique.

God Himself used writing to transmit His Words from generation to generation and, with them, His love for humanity and His plans of peace, covenant, and goodness in our favor. Writing is generally a way of helping human beings recognize one another as brothers and sisters and children of the same Father, even though, in this field too, the Tempter has managed to corrupt hearts, and we know how to write words that wound, words that stain, words that scandalize.

Through writing, however, we have succeeded in breaking down many barriers, particularly linguistic ones: the poetry and prose of ancient geniuses of thought have crossed the mountains that grew with the evolution of languages, and today we can enrich ourselves with ancient wisdom, such as that of the Chinese or the Egyptians, with the thought of philosophers from many successive eras, and with the beauty of the genius of authors such as Dante Alighieri or William Shakespeare, from the most ancient times to the most modern. Authors from countries at war with one another speak to populations that are enemies of each other and nourish their hearts in the same way. We have also reached the exchange of thought and writings from different religions, no longer falling into—or at least distancing ourselves from—the autodafés which, in my childhood, I still witnessed, not inflicted on people but on books and other writings. God entered human history and saved humanity by opening to it the doors of the eternal Kingdom, of His Kingdom; in His faithfulness, through writing born from the words of the apostles and which still today illuminates human speech. Even today, He enters the history of each one of us and, to those who know how and wish to listen to Him, He gives the light of faith, hope, and charity—a joyful light that gives joy.

Writing is an act of giving oneself, but also an act of giving what makes us live, the treasure of our life: this is why writing false things, tending toward deception or manipulation of people, is a harm inflicted upon humanity, but above all it is a disfigurement of one’s own face, ruining the wonder that the Creator works in each of us. Through writing we become creators and, in our creating, we bind to ourselves—while leaving them completely free—our friends, those we love and with whom we wish to communicate, without invading or violating those who wish us harm. A written text leaves the other person’s hand free to take it or leave it, the eyes free to read or look elsewhere, the heart free to respond or remain silent, the mind free to learn or ignore, the will free to embrace peace or reject it. But what is written remains and says that Peace is necessary, otherwise the world falls to pieces.

Cesare Falletti
NP January 2026

Thank you, Father Cesare, for your precious friendship with Nuovo Progetto, which has now lasted for 20 years. With this issue, your column comes to an end, but not your collaboration. We look forward to hosting your contributions again in the near future!
La Redazione