Monday, May 30, 2011

Catholics in Diaspora

The Catholic vote has never been monolithic in Italy, but Catholics have always felt keenly. In the nearly half century of existence of the former Christian Democrats, was very clear that this party, protected from birth by the Vatican, was the natural home of those who frequented the churches, although there have always been believers attracted by the egalitarian message of PCI , the most powerful communist party in the West.

Today the Catholic vote is more scattered than ever, thanks to the plurality of sensitivities among the faithful and the contradictions of the parties. Catholic sector there is a (conservative), which supports Berlusconi, while others hate Catholics, even personally, by the chasm between official rhetoric (in favor of the traditional family against abortion, against gay marriage) and individual moral behavior.

Other Catholics are still finding it very comfortable in the center, but have difficulty accepting certain ethical considerations. In fact, the Democratic Party (PD) wanted to be a synthesis of progressive traditions of the PCI and the DC sector. The Vatican and the Italian Episcopal Conference to bring out this complexity in their pronouncements.

Disagree with the current government majority in some respects. However, they recognize that a legislative policy makes very docile to the Church's positions and that a left alternative could be more injurious to Catholic interests. In Milan, home of conservative movements such as Communion and Liberation, but also with a strong presence of Catholic communities socially progressive, the struggle of the center for the Catholic vote has used seemingly contradictory strategies.

In the propaganda of the People of Freedom (PDL) and the Northern League has placed great emphasis on the alleged danger of a left-wing mayor of the city too open to Muslims and help them build a large mosque. There has been talk of the risk of turning into a gitanópolis Lombard capital, a language with obvious racist connotations.

On Sunday, Communion and Liberation dared to distribute leaflets at the exit of Mass in which he warned of the disaster that would leave Milan in the hands of a leftist mayor he would abolish the obstacles to abortion and would give a boost to euthanasia. There were parishioners who refused to temper the leaflets.

Another proof of the almost schizophrenic attitude towards Catholics of the center have been repeated attacks of the Northern League against the cardinal archbishop of Milan, Dionigi Tettamanzi. The cardinal has been seriously insulted by his appeals for tolerance towards immigrants and their favorable position to build a large mosque.

Tettamanzi has already passed the retirement age and is awaiting his release. In Italy, waiting with great interest the Pope's decision about who should lead a pastoral Archdiocese of such importance. Like it or not, there will be a political reading. It is only logical that Benedict XVI, in these circumstances, consider what kind of coexist City's new archbishop.

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