The vice president of the Bishops Msgr. Antonino Raspanti at Adnkronos: “But let’s not make it a question of gender. We need a solid and super partes name that avoids splits and guides the country. Exemplary Mattarella, you don’t need to win over sympathy with people with amazing slogans or moves”
To the Quirinale we need a “courageous” president, even a woman, capable of avoiding “splits” and mending “fragmentation”. The vice president of the CEI, Monsignor Antonino Raspanti, in an interview with Adnkronos outlines the identikit of Mattarella’s successor, analyzing the particular historical moment that the country is experiencing and the critical situation in which we live not yet out of the pandemic. The prelate, who is also bishop of Acireale, does not even exclude the idea of a woman even if, as he points out, it is not a question of making it a “gender issue”.
‘Mattarella exemplary’ – The vice president of the CEI expresses “his appreciation and thanks to Sergio Mattarella for having conducted the seven-year period in an exemplary manner with balance, prudence and firmness”. Bishop Raspanti considers the moment in which the country is living: “Times are changing and, although we do not know when we will emerge from the pandemic emergency, we can imagine that the socio-economic situation is very delicate, very heavy, because it is true that we have the resources of the PNNR but we must make the best use of them, then there will be, as many predict, a backlash with inflation and therefore new poverty. GDP will increase but we will go down a lot: seven years is a long time and therefore, without prejudice to the work of the government and Parliament, there will be a need for a person to guide, who is a point of reference, which not only guarantees the stability we have enjoyed; Above all, it will take courage to direct the country and the political and social forces to strenuous commitment and sacrifice. It will be a question of keeping the country unanimous, of avoiding splits because they continually peep out on every issue “.
The vice president of the CEI also reflects on the divisions within the parties, even in the choice of the next President of the Republic: “One can understand that there is a lively debate, but since the splits arise above all on social, ethical, even economic issues, on tampons , on vaccines, and society is highly fragmented for much broader cultural reasons ”, a figure capable of containing these divisions will be needed.
“Super partes and solid figure, it will be years of renewal” – “The institutions – considers Msgr. Raspanti- they are not in excellent health, so you will need a person who is able to restore trust to the institutions, an authoritative, wise person, who has firmness, balance and the ability to sometimes calm the fragmentation of parties that continually raise their voices, even falling into the brawl “.
Ultimately, a person who, like Mattarella, knows how to mend the country: “Mattarella is apparently a cooler and more detached person but this has not alienated him from the country’s sympathy. There is no need to win people’s sympathy with phrases, slogans or small amazing moves, because today we want a solid, solid person who knows how to give a concrete direction to the country, who bears fruits of creativity, generosity, because there are many riches in our country that must be channeled into unity “.
The vice president of the CEI looks ahead: “It will be the years, I hope, of a great renewal of the country, of the public administration, of the relations between the social forces, of a renewal also from an ethical and religious point of view. Therefore the Church itself but also other religions are at a turning point in relations with democracy, with the common good, with participation in the public debate. In these changes of many actors, since the president represents unity, control and general direction, inevitably it should be a super partes figure and in-depth knowledge of the state in all its parts “.
All characteristics that could also be embodied by a woman. “I believe that both a man and a woman are fine, even if I don’t make it a gender issue, – observes Msgr. Raspanti – even if it has its value as a battle of equality for women and I believe that in many fields there is a non-facilitation of women. Man or woman who is the next president at the Colle, it is important to ensure that that role is carried out in the best possible way “.
‘Useful broad comparison on different personalities, but big voters will also take into account the chancelleries’ – Since the full names for the Colle started, there are many personalities, different from each other, some more divisive than others. “There are names with different characteristics and this is right for that to happen. These people – analyzes the vice president of the CEI without explicitly mentioning names – are very different due to the history of their public behavior, political or professional: some up to now have proved to be more conciliatory, with a greater sense of the state and with greater flexibility, capable also to change positions previously taken, different people who have shown aspects that we might prefer today and therefore hope for, while others with aspects that we would not hope for today because it is no longer the time. The fact that these names come out means that there is a very wide confrontation, and it is useful, then the great voters will have to find convergences taking into account other governments, international politics, what the chancelleries think “.
They will cheer Draghi who defined himself as a ‘grandfather at the service of institutions’? “He did not say that it is not there”, notes Bishop Raspanti, who observes: “We must not forget that we belong to the Atlantic Pact, to relations of commercial alliances, there are many aspects that bind us to the international market. The electors will take this into account ”.
Source-www.adnkronos.com