Political love

Five days of great depth and communion.
From 3 to 7 July, in which 1,200 delegates from the Italian dioceses gathered in Trieste to experience together the 50th Social Week of Catholics, marked by a great opening to the spaces of the host city, with the setting up of stages for debates and of stands animated by various ecclesial subjects, and by considerable media attention, favored by the participation of Sergio Mattarella and Pope Francis.
However, I believe that the most significant innovation concerns the chosen theme: democracy. After years of mistrust and fear, the Italian Church has decided to openly deal with politics, not to interfere with temporal power, claim privileges or invoke the rebirth of Christian Democracy, but to affirm that there is a special form of love which is "political love" and encourage Christians to participate, first of all in voting, but also in public dialogue and in the definition of proposals.

In Trieste, a Church has emerged that considers democracy a value, for its methodological and procedural form (limiting absolute power and universal involvement at the moment of voting), but also for its substance, which is expression, inclusion and training of the community. Mattarella reflected on the soul of democracy and the principles that govern it, specifying that participating does not equate to taking sides and that the high rates of abstention appear to be a real desertion. Incisive words, if we consider that in the European elections in June 58% of practicing Catholics did not vote (source: survey by Nando Pagnoncelli).
«“Common good” is not the “public good” of the interest of the majority, but the good of each and every one at the same time, according to what the Social Week of 1945 already wanted to indicate», Mattarella recalled.
And again: «Fighting so that there can be no "democracy illiterates" is a primary, noble cause that concerns us all. Not just those who hold responsibilities or exercise power.
By definition, democracy is a bottom-up exercise, linked to community life, because democracy is walking together."

Pope Francis also spoke very strong words: «It is evident that in today's world democracy is not in good health. (...) Democracy always requires the transition from taking sides to participating, from "cheering" to dialogue. (…) We cannot be satisfied with a marginal or private faith. We have something to say, but not to defend privileges. No.
We must be a voice, a voice that denounces and proposes in an often voiceless society where too many have no voice.
(…) This is political love, which is not satisfied with treating the effects but tries to address the causes. It is a form of charity that allows politics to live up to its responsibilities and escape from polarizations (...). The entire Christian community is called to this political charity, in the distinction of ministries and charisms. Let us train ourselves in this love, to put it into circulation in a world that is short of civil passion. We must resume the civil passion, this, of the great politicians we have known. Let us learn more and better to walk together as the people of God, to be a leaven of participation among the people of which we are part.
(...) Following the example of La Pira, the Italian Catholic laity must not lack this ability to "organise hope".

Now the challenge is to make the five days of Trieste a ferment in our Dioceses, to reactivate not only the participation of Catholics in voting and political life, but also trust in politics, starting from the beautiful definition of "political love" coined by Bergoglio, to promote an “embodied faith”, heal the divide between life within the Christian community and the outside world and be part of a dialogue that improves the quality of our democracy. The Italian Church has returned to dealing with politics without hesitation, now it is up to each of us to take an interest and do our part.

Monica Canalis
NPFOCUS
NP August / September 2024