THE ITALY OF FAMILY DAY
Roberto de Mattei
Corrispondenza Romana
February 3rd 2016
The Family Day of January 30th brought to light the existence of another Italy, quite different from the relativist and “pornomania” one proposed to us by the media as the only real one.
The Italy of Family Day is that portion of the population, much larger than we can perhaps imagine, that has remained faithful, or has won back in recent years, what Benedict XVI defined as “the non-negotiable values”: life, the family, the education of children, with the conviction that only on these pillars can a well-ordered society be founded.
The Italy of Family Day places itself as antithetical to the ‘Italy of the Cirinnà law’, which takes its name from the government bill presented by Senator Monica Cirinnà, to introduce homosexual marriage and adoptions into our country.
The Italy of Family Day is not only an Italy that defends the institution of the family, it is also an Italy that has marshalled against the enemies of the family; the first being the activist group behind the screen of the Cirinnà law which wants to impose an ideology and pansexual practice on the Country. This minority is sustained by the European Union, by the Marxist-Illuminist lobby, and by Freemasonry of various levels and grades - and which - unfortunately, enjoys the sympathy and benevolence of a section of the bishops and Catholic movements.
In this sense, the Italy of Family Day is not that of Monsignor Nunzio Galatino, Secretary of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) but neither is it that of associations like Communion and Liberation, L’Agesci, (Italian Catholic Scout Association), the Focolare Movement and the Charismatic Movement, all of which were absent from Circo Massimo on January 30th. Monsignor Galatino tried in every which way to avert the demonstration, then seeing the impossibility of blocking its mobilization, he wanted to force on it another objective: as Richard Cascioli in “La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana” of February 1st notes: “to arrive at a law on civil unions that keeps the family founded on marriage between a man and a woman distinctly separated and which avoids adoptions. In other words the CEI wants the DICO which it fought against eight years ago.” The first Family Day in 2007, was promoted in fact by the Italian Bishops against the legalization of civil unions (DICO), correctly presented as an open door to homosexual pseudo-marriage. Today we hear it said that we should need to accept civil unions, specifically to avoid so-called gay-marriage.
Monsignor Marcello Semeraro, Bishop of Albano, among others, says so in an interview: “In principle, I have no objections to the fact that judicial consistency is given to these unions under the public profile. It seems to me that the reaction regards the issue of generativity and adoptions, not the public recognition of the unions. What’s important is that they are not assimilated into the reality of marriage.” And, to avoid any misunderstandings, he adds: “A law on civil unions, without question, can be made.” (“Corriere della Sera” January 31st). The position is clear: no to homosexual adoptions, yes to the legalization of homosexual unions, as long as they are not officially defined as marriage. If some elements are removed from the Cirinnà bill that equate in full homosexual civil unions with marriage, then a Catholic could consent to them.
Monsignor Semeraro, along with Monsignor Galatino, is considered Pope Francis’ right hand man. The question therefore arises spontaneously: what is Pope Francis’ position regarding this?
Antonio Socci in “Libero” of January 31st, notes how Pope Francis’ “absence and palpable aloofness was very evident”. He didn’t even as much as send a greeting to Family Day and there was no mention of it at all at Saturday morning’s general audience nor at the Angelus the day after. How are we to judge this silence, just when the Italian Government and Parliament are about to inflict a moral wound on our country?
Yet, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith declared that homosexuality cannot claim any recognition whatsoever, as what is evil in the eyes of God, cannot be acknowledged as socially right. (Letter to The Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons, October 1st 1986, n.17). The Italy of Family Day perhaps ignores this document the Pope cannot ignore, but, armed simply with common sense, on January 30th, voiced a clear and definite no, not only to the so-called stepchild adoption but to the entire Cirinnà decree. The sentiments of the crowd filling the Circo Massimo was understood by the outburst of applauses which responded to the strongest interventions from some of the Italian and foreign speakers; like Seljka Marrkic, the leader of the Civic Initiative in Croatia, which led the referendum rejecting civil unions and three months later also overthrew the Prime Minister.
We have to acknowledge, with serene objectivity, that The March for Life which has been taking place in Italy since 2011, broke the ice, by debunking a complex that had burdened the Italian pro-life movement: the idea that it was impossible, or in some way, counterproductive, [to have]a grand public demonstration in defense of life. In the wake of the March for Life and also the grand French Manif por tous, Family Day was born, which, in its desire to bring together the largest crowd possible, gathered internally different [types of] souls. Some intransigent, others willing to compromise. The reason for its success in terms of numbers is also the reason for its weakness in terms of substance and prospective. The battle in act is not in fact political, it is cultural, and you don’t win as much with the mobilization of the masses as you do with the force of your ideas that oppose the adversary. It is a battle between two visions of the world, both founded on some cardinal principles. If the absolute truth and the absolute Good, Who is God, is acknowledged, no yielding is possible. The defense of the truth must be conducted even to martyrdom. The word martyr means witness to the truth, and today, alongside the blood martyrdom of Christians, which is taking place again in many parts of the world, there is an unbloody martyrdom, not less terrible, inflicted through the weapons of the media, the judiciary and psychology, with the intent of ridiculing, silencing and if possible [even] imprisoning the defenders of the Christian and natural order.
For this we expect from the “Committee in defense of our children” , the promoter of Family Day, that it continue to denounce the iniquity of the Cirinnà law even if this is unhappily passed, in a somewhat softened way. The French Manif pour tous, for the first time brought almost a million people into the piazza on January 13th 2013, some weeks before the Parliamentary debate on the Taubira law, but it continues to demonstrate, with even greater vigour, even after the approval of homosexual pseudo-marriage, triggering off a movement which has opened the way to many others in Europe. And just recently Christiane Taubira, from whom the wicked French law takes its name, left the scene, handing in her resignation as Minister of Justice. We expect therefore, new demonstrations in Italy, led with strength and determination, even if the numbers should be fewer, for what counts is not the largeness of the number, but the power of the message.
We didn’t use the expression “Family Day” to connote the organizers of the event, but to give identity to a piazza which goes way beyond that which was physically united together at the Circo Massimo on January 30th. This Italy is not resigned, it wants to fight and needs leaders. The leaders must be truthful, in intentions, ideas, language and behavior. And the Italy of Family Day is ready to denounce false leaders, with the same force it continues to combat its real enemies.
[Translation: Contributor Francesca Romana]
