.- During a Mass attended by numerous government officials, the president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, encouraged lawmakers to overcome the current climate of “political hatred” that plagues the country.
In the wake of the attack on Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Cardinal Bagnasco recalled that “the message of Christmas...demands respect amidst the climate we are currently experiencing as a country. The climate of personal hatred poisons politics, fosters aggression and leads to grave and unacceptable episodes of violence.”
Cardinal Bagnasco also underscored that “without evident, honest and concrete change, the sense of insecurity grows, trust in institutions decreases, participation in the life of the country is discouraged and social cohesion is weakened.”
“The people are tired and don’t deserve this,” the cardinal said. “Our people deserve the best from all and from their leaders.”
