ingiustizie elevate a diritto

Emma Bonino, a member of the Radical Party and former Italian Minister, EU Commissioner, divorce and abortion activist, upon being defeated last weekend in the elections for governor of Lazio, declared she lost from a true alliance between Berlusconi and the Catholic Church.

A couple of days before the elections, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, currently president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, invited catholic electors to vote pro-life parties, with the clear aim of influencing the elections in Lazio and in Piemonte, where Berlusconi's candidates were opposing strong pro-choice figures, Emma Bonino and Mercedes Bresso. The issue is especially relevant because health is, in Italy, a sector of regional competence, and the introduction of the abortion pill is currently being discussed both at the political and administrative level. Roberto Cota, the Lega Nord candidate who defeated Bresso in Piemonte, as a discreet "thank you for your support", few hours upon his election declared the pills will "rot in warehouses".

Emma Bonino also said she considered this alliance to be legitimate, blaming her defeat rather on the disproportionate coverage given by the media to Berlusconi's position, and to the complete absence of space for its critics. Still, although absolutely unsurprising, Bagnasco's last intervention has probably been the most explicit indication the Church has ever given before an election.

I am really upset by the hypocritical way the Church continues to openly support Berlusconi and his comrades (variously involved in sexual scandals, modern kinds of family, rituals to pagan gods, violent acts against migrants, etc), but I don't feel there's much more to do about it than to remark such contradictions, or try to drive the people's attention to different subjects.

In the end, it is just another lobby, and has the right to speak. Politicians and electors have the right to follow. But I assume it speaks everywhere in the world, and not everywhere is heard, not to mention followed. Does really the scarce 30% of Italian population (including children, non-voting and progressive or even critical catholics) that actually is faithful make a difference? Or are most of us, even those who couldn't care less in the day-to-day life, still trying not to give up all hope of eternal salvation and making their best on Christmas, Easter, and political elections? Or are they really convinced abortion and gay rights are the meteorites that will destroy our civilization?

Oh, by the way, would it help if the home page of "la Repubblica" didn't look like this? Breaking news: pro-life declaration by the Pope. The big picture: 2 interventions by his PRs.