My Lord Cardinal,

We live in the same city and belong to the same church. You’re Bishop of Genoa and as Cardinal, Head of the Confederation of Italian Bishops. I’m a simple priest and I’m appealing both to the Cardinal and to the Bishop of Genoa, because your decisions directly involve the people of this city.

I read the speech you made at the 39th General Assembly of the Confederation of Italian Bishops (24-29th May 2009) and watched your press conference on the 29th. I was struck by your fine detached attitude, or rather lack of attitude, towards the moral question - should I say immoral question - of our country. I’m talking about the Prime Minister’s conduct. He has now been clearly shown to consort with underage teenagers, swear by his children, govern by lies and falsification, plant falsehoods in the mass media he controls, and use calumny as a political weapon.

Although these accusations are serious, the sources are trustworthy. His wife accused him publicly of “frequenting minors”, said he should be treated as “a sick man”, described him as a dragon to whom virgins had to be sacrificed. Interviews published in one Italian daily newspaper (only one, silence from the rest) and in the foreign press confirmed, beyond all reasonable doubt, that the prime minister lied openly to the nation, and continues to lie, about the judicial hearings he is implicated in and about the inaction of his government. One Court sentence certified he corrupted witnesses who had been called upon to testify and habitually lied in his private and public dealings. Yet he boasts of his Catholic morals: God, Motherland and Family.

You, my Lord cardinal, represent the “magister” (teaching) of the Bishops and the Pope, as guarantors of the Catholic morality that focuses on Family and Individual principles. Neither you nor any other bishop has spoken out clearly against this man, this Head of Government who has dragged the Italian people into the morass of moral degradation, who has exalted the principles of seduction, force, criminal cunning and unrestrained selfishness. Blind, silent and unheeding, hidden in a cloud of incense that prevents you from seeing the raw truth, the Italian bishops preside over the moral break-up of the country. You used the same bland words to comment on refusing immigrants asylum, which contravenes all human rights and the ethics and social doctrine of the Catholic Church. But you kicked up the devil of a stir on civil rights for people who live together outside marriage. You campaigned against a referendum on the grounds that some supreme principles are not up for negotiation and now you have nothing to say except that your sweet little words are a message for everyone. That means a message for no one.

Catholics and non-Catholics are confused or resigned. The confused think: don’t you imply absolution when you say that ethically speaking you “speak for every man”? This empty expression means you do not refer to anyone individually and that generally speaking you support morality (immorality) and safeguard your own interests. In the same interview I heard you asking for more money for church schools. Were you perhaps warning that if you didn’t get the money you were ready to abandon the present government and majority in parliament? Many Catholics are starting to leave the Church and donate to other denominations. You are no doubt aware that less money is being offered to the Catholic Church but you should realise this is the direct consequence of your lack of moral guidance. The Confederation of Italian Bishops has switched from prophecy to diplomacy and from truth to servility

The resigned Catholics are in an even worse position. They think that if the Church does not condemn Berlusconi and Berlusconism there’s no problem. His sex-life and harem, his style of government based on falsehoods, lies and hatred of the opposition, doing anything to win, are all fine. Catholics vote for him and Catholic women are enchanted by a corruptor whose unscrupulous TV channels and newspapers degrade the morals of our people with ignobile, quarrelsome and immoral small screen models.

For our people, you, the bishops who are silent and those who try to minimise personal responsibility, are co-responsible and complicit. The people have a saying: “the thief and the look-out are both robbers”. Why are you looking out for Berlusconi and his government? Why don’t you speak out and say our people are duped by the TV stations, 50% of which are owned by the Prime Minister and the other 50% controlled directly by him? Why don’t you comment of the conflict of interests which is over-riding the legal and ethical principles our country is founded on? Why carry on hand-in-hand with an immoral man who preaches the Catholic principles of the family and then gets divorced, remarries, is up for another divorce and surrounds himself with very young girls to arouse his senile lack of virility? Why don’t you say that as Catholics, pastors and guarantors of Catholic morality you want nothing to do with him? Why didn’t you excommunicate him when he sent asylum seekers back to almost certain death?

Isn’t this the same man who passed a special decree to feed Eluana Englaro, who had been in coma for years? Aren’t you the same people who defend life from its conception to its natural end? Is the life of a black man worth less than a white? Have you been contaminated so far by the heresy of the Northern League and Berlusconism? Why don’t you tell Catholics that if they support him they are sharing in his crimes against the Natural laws? You are adoring a Golden Cow.

I myself, and believe me, many other Catholics, think you, my Lord Cardinal and the other bishops have lost all authority because you have reneged your mission of moral teaching, because you are acting in your own interests and not in the cause of the truth and the Gospel. Bought because every man and institution has its price. And when your silence comes up against the ignominous facts, like the experts you are, you weigh your words carefully and you speak softly.

The former President of the Republic, Francesco Cossiga, described your attitude “The Church is very interested in private conduct. Between a devoted husband that contests certain laws of the Church and a hardened womaniser that extends a helping hand, the Church will say “Good man” to the womaniser “.Ecclesia casta et meretrix" (La Stampa, 8-5-2009). You didn’t complain about his harsh, offensive judgement.

My Lord Cardinal, in the name of the God you claim to represent, give us a taste of prophecy, a whisper of the Gospel, a summer lightning flash of coherent faith and credibility. If you can’t do it as Head of the Confederation of Italian Bishops because of other interests, do it as Bishop of Genoa. Lots of Genoese are leaving the Church because of the Italian Bishops’ elastic, self-interested morality which negates the truth and the connective tissue of civil society.

In your interview, you referred to “ the emergency in education” and the “negative role-models on the TV” . I suppose you know TV stations don’t just appear. They have a proprietor and he is the Head of the Government and as owner and prime minister he influences the choice of programmes, advertising, economics, life-style, ethics and conduct of young people. He can offer only a career as a showgirl or a seat in parliament for the more servile, especially for the women. They say he crowed with delight when he saw your interview because he was expecting much worse. With your benediction he can now continue on his lascivious way, trafficking in minors to immolate on the altar of his paranoic narcissism, to the greater glory of Berlusconistan, the new name for Italy in the English press.

Looking forward to hearing from you,
Best regards,

Genova 31 May 2009
Paolo Farinella, priest