Italy Under Attack....
Since it seems that no considerable press coverage has been given to the
recent attacks occurred in Rome, either in Italy or elsewhere in the
world, I decided to write mine own article in the hope not to incite
hatred or intolerance, but rather to make people aware.
Last night a non-Italian individual entered the 9th century Basilica of
Santa Prassede, just around the corner from the Papal Basilica of Saint
Mary Major, the rather robust man started to smash everything he found,
especially statues and candlesticks, right before a group of
parishioners who were quite scared. The two devotional statues of Saint
Anthony of Padua and Saint Prassede were heavily damaged, the attacker
did not have time to finish his job as he was heading towards the
sanctuary and the crucifix when the police arrived. Later, according to
video-recording proof he also entered the church of San Martino ai
Monti, where he smashed a devotional statue of the Madonna and Child.
This morning two further attacks occurred in the Basilicas of San
Giovanni de' Fiorentini, on the Via Giulia, and San Vitale, on the Via
Nazionale. Here statues, candlesticks, crucifixes were smashed, the
perpetrator at this time had time to admit that it was not right that we
worshipped in this way.
Most artworks in San Giovanni de' Fiorentini were over 300 years old,
but even if other statues and religious furniture weren't that old or
precious we must realise that not only our art, culture and identity are
in danger (and to us Italians they are the dearest thing we have, what
makes us what we are), but our very freedom of worship, our own
religion, here in Rome, here in the heart of Western Christianity.
Jesu mercy, Mary pray.
