CNA Staff, Jun 27, 2020 / 02:00 am
An Italian prisoner, sentenced to 30 years for murder, will make vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience on Saturday, in the presence of his bishop.
Luigi*, 40, wanted to be a priest when he was young, according to Avvenire, the newspaper of the Italian bishops' conference. Kids called him "Father Luigi" when he was growing up. But alcohol, drugs, and violence changed the path of his life. In fact, he was under the influence of alcohol and cocaine when, getting into a fist fight, he took a life.
He was sentenced to prison. There, he became a lector for Mass. He began to study. He started to pray again. He prayed, especially, "for the salvation of the man I killed," he wrote in a letter.
That letter was to Bishop Massimo Camisasca of Reggio Emilia-Guastalla. The two began a correspondence last year. By then, Luigi had grown close with two priests who acted as chaplains to the prison in Reggio Emilia- Fr. Matteo Mioni and Fr. Daniele Simonazzi.