The bishops have forgotten about Vannacci

Rome. There is a silence that speaks volumes in Italy. It is the silence of the Italian Church regarding the programmes announced at every venue – even in Cernobbio – by former General Roberto Vannacci. He speaks of remigration, of placing people with disabilities in ‘separate’ classes, and of steering Italy towards a shift towards security and national identity, harking back to the days when trains ran on time. In short, ideas blended into what Mario Monti has termed ‘fascist rhetoric’, which seems to be striking a chord with the Italian electorate, who, week after week, are rewarding the ambitious ‘Futuro Nazionale’ party in the polls. And the Church? No response. No street protests, no leaflets like those distributed in Saxony-Anhalt during Lent to warn of the risks of a possible victory for Alternative für Deutschland. To be sure, a few bishops have spoken out (upon request), but when the retired military officer described St Paul as “a comrade”, it was a group of eleven priests who protested strongly – those gathered within the “Interesse uomo” foundation, which works to combat usury and over-indebtedness. “Associating the figure of St Paul with a term historically linked to totalitarian and partisan ideologies – and, moreover, within the manifesto of a political faction – constitutes a serious and unacceptable exploitation of the faith.” And yet, on the other hand, the bishops have often found themselves in the firing line. Take, for instance, the Archbishop of Trento, Monsignor Lauro Tisi, who, after describing migrants as “our salvation, our blessing, and woe betide us if they weren’t here!”, was met with a tirade from a Vannaccian committee: the bishop’s remarks were described as “a legitimate but personal statement”. A statement “unworthy of a bishop, as it differs from the teaching of the Church”. The local representative, Emilio Giuliana, withdrew to pray for Monsignor Tisi “that he may convert to the Catholic faith”. Even regarding theories about confining people with disabilities to special classes: there was grumbling, indignation and some protest, but expressed with elegance and tact. “Whilst respecting every opinion and every political choice, what is at stake here is a cultural vision of life. These statements take us back to the darkest periods of our history. I would venture to say, in the words of Pope Francis, that inclusion is a sign of civilisation.”

This was stated last spring by the vice-president of the CEI, Monsignor Francesco Savino, a man who, when it comes to railing against illegal hiring practices, LGBTQI+ discrimination, differentiated autonomy and the separation of career paths, is right at the forefront, as combative as ever, even at the cost of facing insults and tirades from those who do not share his views. This time, however, the tone was affected and institutionally proper. And what of interfaith dialogue – not exactly the ‘Vannaccism’ movement’s cup of tea? When the Bishop of Pinerolo, Monsignor Derio Olivero, came to the defence of Imam Mohamed Shahin – whose residence permit had been revoked, leading to his detention at the Caltanissetta Reception Centre for Asylum Seekers (CPR) before the Court of Cassation confirmed the release ordered by the Turin Court of Appeal – ‘Team Vannacci’ rose up in protest with a letter published in local newspapers, stating how ‘scandalous it is that a Catholic bishop should intervene in defence of an imam, rather than recalling the value of religious freedom, the protection of Christians worldwide and our European cultural identity’. It is true that the indignation of the legion loyal to the former general does not include the threats which, in Saxony-Anhalt, were delivered – not even all that subtly – to the local churches (along the lines of: ‘be careful about campaigning against us, or you’ll pay dearly for it’), but still: in other times, the lesson given to the bishop would have led his fellow clergy to step up to the microphones to express their public support and solidarity. Instead, it was the CGIL, CISL, UIL and ANPI who stepped in to support the prelate with a statement highlighting Vannaccia’s shortcomings in matters of catechism.

What is most surprising, however, is the silence on migration policies. Whilst Avvenire, the official newspaper of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), rails almost daily against the idea of forced repatriation and, more generally, against the policy proposals of Futuro Nazionale, it is surprising, for example, that a bishop as outspoken as Monsignor Gian Carlo Perego – former president of Migrantes and well aware of the issue – has chosen to keep a low profile. This is surprising because he was at the very forefront in challenging the policy behind the Meloni government’s agreements with Albania, describing them as “a shameful, immoral and unconstitutional operation”: “673 million euros down the drain over ten years due to the inability to establish a widespread reception system in our country, which ranks sixteenth in Europe for the number of asylum seekers received relative to its population”, he thundered from his makeshift pulpit, “673 million euros truly thrown to the winds due to the inability to manage a phenomenon—that of forced migration—which we pretend to stem, but which grows year on year”. The same bishop who came into open conflict with the centre-right government when he mocked the Mattei Plan – “for the sake of intellectual honesty”, it would be better to call it “the Meloni Plan”, so as not to confuse it with the real Mattei Plan, which was the result of “collaboration between a multidisciplinary group of Catholic and democratic left-wing intellectuals, gathered around the Catholic University of Milan”.

Now, in the face of those who pander to advocates of ‘German ethnic purity’, dreaming of adapting the model to Italy, there are no signs of any significant outcry amongst the bishops. Will they speak out as the election campaign draws near? This is possible, especially given that the former general will be dusting off the album of Christian symbols to bolster his agenda, from the need to implement the ‘Mediterranean patriarchy’ to the refrain about Europe’s ancient Christian roots, now that it has become a melting pot. Amidst brandished rosaries and invocations of Lepanto, a few bishops will probably have their say. If they have not done so yet, perhaps it is because they too, having seen the AI-generated videos posted on social media, have realised that the national future envisaged for our part of the world has a farcical side entirely absent from gloomy East Germany.