Learn to say yes

Can you become Mayor of a town by taking inspiration from Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato si'? Can we hope that integral ecology, so promoted by the Holy Father, can replace our habits and coexist with the interests of a politics that is increasingly interested in money rather than people?

The bishop of Rome calls us to take care of our world following an innovative principle, no longer based only on the destructive effects of climate change but focused on the real reason that allowed it, offering the cultural, social and relational development of people as the only solution. But it's hard to believe.
Not the fact that Pope Francis' recipe might work, but rather that people might be willing to apply it. In summary, the Pope tries to make us understand that the world cannot be seen as something to be exploited, but we should, with our daily choices, see our planet as a friend, an ally who feeds us, warms us, gives us resources to work, and allows us to live. If this were the case, evidently, we would do everything to preserve it. Francis did not forget to underline the importance of our relationships, which should be fueled by respect and love, in true collective interest, but which instead are often fueled by selfishness, interests and power.
This, according to him, would lead to the destruction of relationships, but also of nature, and we would already be paying for the consequences with the visible damage of climate change or the various wars around the world, without forgetting those within families or small communities.

My wife Loredana (in another article on NP I have already mentioned her visionary project and her role as mayor! and I do not continue to mention her as my wife, I do so because I would like her example to become useful for other mayors! Who knows? !), with his choice to seek in Laudato si' the answers to apply in his mandate as a public administrator, finds himself daily faced with difficult choices which do not always immediately appear to be the most "economically convenient". But, if left to germinate, not only do earnings increase, but they enhance socialization between people, improve their internal well-being, and bring positive consequences on the ecological impact of every single action taken, with consequent well-being for nature.

Choosing to power public buildings with sustainable sources is logical, like trying to reduce emissions from fossil energy sources, or encouraging conscious and consequently virtuous purchases, because the resulting effects are now obvious. And pushing for these measures to be implemented quickly is sacrosanct, and this applies to all those actions that we know are necessary to limit the worrying damage we have created. But having the courage to reach the goal by choosing feeling and culture as a means is much more difficult and tiring. Dedicating yourself to the inner and cultural growth of children or their families, to social problems, to inequalities, to the culture of beauty and respect, to the creation of a sustainable community, is very tiring. And it is even more so if it is done with truth, passion, listening and kindness.
In the first two years of his mandate, mayor Bonora (he doesn't really like being called that, he prefers Lolli!), is trying with all his strength, listening to people's needs and proposing integral ecology solutions, fighting personal interests, envy, opposition and distrust. She's trying, but every now and then she falters, and she feels like throwing in the towel. It always happens due to fatigue, but of a different type than the one previously underlined, the one I'm talking about is only mental. It can affect each of us and derives from motivations external to our will: personal interests, egocentrism, denial, envy, bureaucratic times, the beliefs of those who believe that "We start from 1, we are that one we!" It's just a slogan, but there are a thousand causes that can make us mentally tired and there are few solutions to avoid them.

My wife prays. And I do it too. I don't know if this can be useful to everyone, but one thing is certain: Lolli never feels alone. And never as in this mission of hers, born only to improve the small piece of the world in which we live, have I understood how much God works through her... The important thing is to learn to say Yes, and my wife knows it.

Max Laudadio
NP November 2023