INTERVIEW WITH ANDREA TURAZZI BISHOP OF SAN MARINO-MONTEFELTRO: «IN THE ANCIENT REPUBLIC WHERE THE REFERENDUM ON ABORTION WON WITH THE 77,28% OF VOTES, MONTE TITANO WILL BECOME LIKE MONTE TAIGETO?

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«I don't think it's relevant nor do I think it's right to compare the San Marino people to the Spartans. It is necessary not to identify that 77% Of “Yes” to abortion with the extremely aggressive and ideological attitude of some groups. The Referendum in San Marino was celebrated as a proactive referendum to ask for decriminalisation. However, the request also raises the possibility of an abortion without limitations. In fact, it only takes into account the woman's point of view. The rights of the unborn child are not adequately considered.".

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Author:
Jorge Facio Lynx
President of Editions The island of Patmos.

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INTRODUCTORY HISTORICAL NOTE: THE ANCIENT SERENISSIMA REPUBLIC

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(C)capital of the Republic of San Marino: the fortress, also called yelp, on the top of Mount Titano

In the Republic of San Marino this the most serene, 33.860 inhabitants, after a heated referendum campaign, those entitled to vote went to the polls where the 77,28% of voters voted in favor of abortion. A result that brings to mind certain oceanic majorities and that leads us to reflect also animated by understandable anxiety.

The theme of ours The interview that follows deserves a historical and hagiographic introduction. The Republic was born on 3 September 301. Its founder was Marino, a stonecutter native to the island of Rab who fled Dalmatia during the persecutions of Christians initiated by Diocletian. With a small Christian community he settled on Mount Titano, the highest of the seven hills where the capital stands today. The owner of that land was a certain Felicissima, rich noblewoman from the city of Rimini who donated that property to the community of Marino, who will later title it in his name. Together with Marino, the figure of another stonemason stands out, Leo or Leo. This second, after also arriving on Monte Titano it moved to Monte Feliciano, known today as Montefeltro, continuing to work on the extraction and processing of stones. On that hill Leo will build a church, in an area now called San Leo, co-cathedral of the Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro, which has its own cathedral and bishopric in Pennabilli, town of approx 1.000 inhabitants. Marino and Leo, according to the ancient deacon tradition, they are the patron saints of the Diocese. The community of San Marino became independent in the 8th century when it fell of the Byzantine army of Ravenna, metropolitan archiepiscopal seat of which the Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro is a suffragan. The bond between the ancient Republic - which was born from deep Christian roots - and the Church of Rome has always been very close and solid. In 1291 the Supreme Pontiff Nicholas IV recognized San Marino as a Christian republic.

Even today the Serenissima Republic it has diplomatic relations with the Holy See and the apostolic nunciature is located on its territory. The office of apostolic nuncio is held by the Apostolic Nuncio to Italy, who carries out his diplomatic office with double accreditation: to the Government of the Italian Republic and to the Government of the Republic of San Marino. This is why the diplomatic headquarters of the Holy See in Italy is called Apostolic Nunciature in Italy and in the Republic of San Marino. The penultimate Apostolic Nuncio in serial order, S. AND. Mons. Adriano Bernardini (2011-2017), he was a particular and appreciated expert on the history of that country. Even though he was trained at the Pontifical Roman Major Seminary and ordained priest for the Diocese of Rome, he was a native of Montefeltro (Piandimeleto, hamlet of Monastero). Another distinguished diplomat of the Holy See was also originally from Montefeltro, S. AND. Mons. Pietro Sambi, who was apostolic nuncio to the United States of America. The current Apostolic Nuncio is Swiss S. AND. Mons. Emil Paul Tscherrig. From the 2014 Bishop of the Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro is S. AND. Mons. Andrea Turazzi.

The Bishops of San Marino, although holders of the episcopal seat and having a residence in the territory of the ancient Republic, they do not reside there permanently, this is for political reasons linked to the particular nature of the government of that country, where the two Heads of State are elected on a short periodic basis, called Captains Regent. Their Most Serene Excellencies in fact they remain in office for only six months. In such a small country and with such a system of government, the Bishop, who can remain on his episcopal chair for up to twenty or thirty years, could take on a role of greater authority than that of the periodic Heads of State, especially if he had a strong personality.

The people of San Marino are deeply proud of their ancient Republic and they have never liked the jokes of certain Italians from the surrounding neighboring Romagna. Diplomatic incidents with Italy over time are far from rare, for example when on the occasion of Armed Forces Day a satirical magazine from Romagna alluded to the San Marino air force made up of four remote-controlled helicopters and to its naval fleet made up of ten small boats made to spin in the water of a tank. Perhaps unaware, the ironic geographers, that the Republic has no access to the sea and that San Marino could have a naval fleet on a par with Switzerland or the Principality of Liechtenstein, but also of European countries with a much larger territorial extension about which no one makes fun due to the lack of naval fleets: Austria, Hungary, Slovakia … Or when the San Marino Armed Forces went on maximum alert - which happened more than once - due to military vehicles of the Italian Army who crossed its territory. An episode understandably experienced as an invasion, until arousing the vibrant protests of H.E. Antonella Mularoni minister of foreign affairs. Because with all due respect to the laughing and joyous people of Romagna surrounding and neighboring, the San Marino people are proud of their country and their Republic, the oldest in the world. For this reason they deserve profound respect, above all profound historical respect.

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INTERVIEW WITH ANDREA TURAZZI BISHOP OF THE DIOCESE OF SAN MARINO-MONTEFELTRO

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Author:
Gabriele Giordano M. Scardocci, o.p.

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S. AND. Mons. Andrea Turazzi, Bishop of San Marino-Montefeltro

(D). Excellency, you were born in Stellata di Bondeno (Ferrara) ordained priest for the Archdiocese of Ferrara-Comacchio (27.05.1972). He was esteemed by the then Archbishop of Ferrara-Comacchio Carlo Caffarra (1995-2003). For four decades he lived in contact with the People of God, exercising his sacred priestly ministry as a parish priest, dedicating himself in the meantime to the training of future priests as spiritual director of the seminary and teacher of pastoral theology. He was elected to the episcopal seat of San Marino-Montefeltro by the Supreme Pontiff Francis (30.11.2013) and consecrated bishop by Cardinal Carlo Caffarra (24.01.2014), Archbishop of Bologna (2003-2015). We can begin by asking you for your personal memories of this bishop and theologian who returned to the House of the Father on 6 September 2017, remembered today as one of the greatest experts on marriage issues, of the family and human procreation?

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R. I was lucky enough to have the then Don Carlo Caffarra as a professor. I remember perfectly the clarity and depth of his lessons. Extremely rigorous, but extraordinarily welcoming. The Ferrara episcopate of Cardinal Carlo Caffarra left an imprint on each of us priests, but I think it had a profound impact on him too: he added, to the robustness of the thoroughbred theologian, the delicacy of the shepherd (strongly and sweetly). I have many personal memories, which I jealously guard; I share two: his tears during a coffee break, at the Regional Episcopal Conference, due to the decline in vocations; his joy in telling me about the "spiritual" experience he lived in the Conclave that elected Pope Francis. I had no "doubt" about Cardinal Carlo Caffarra's attachment to the person of the Holy Father - Pope Francis - and not only to the "papacy". This is demonstrated by the fact that when some attempted to place Cardinal Caffarra in conflict with the Holy Father on family issues, he didn't hesitate to answer:

«I would have been more pleased if it were said that the Archbishop of Bologna has a lover, rather than it being said that he has a mind contrary to that of the Pope. Because if a bishop has a thought contrary to that of the Pope he must go, but just you have to go by the diocese, because it would lead the faithful on a path that is no longer that of Jesus Christ. He would therefore lose himself eternally and risk the loss of the faithful. It is something that deeply saddened me because it is slanderous, because not only has the Pope never spoken about this, but when he spoke he asked for a debate. And the debate is real if all voices can speak. I was born a papist, I lived as a papist and a papist I want to die" [N.d.R. see video of the interview].

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(D). As Bishop of the Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro he found himself faced with a referendum campaign for the legalization of abortion within a country that is the smallest and oldest republic in the world. She immediately made it clear that for the particular Church she governed, what was at stake was not a political issue but an issue that touched a very sensitive chord in our faith.: human life, considered as such by us Catholics from the moment of conception. Of course, everything was played out on the political terrain, that of the referendum, through the free expression of popular will. He believes that those in favor of the legalization of abortion understood that for the Bishop it was not a purely political question but a delicate question of conscience?

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R. I intervened as a pastor. As far as I know, the people of San Marino have never contested my positions expressed in my speech to the San Marino Vicariate, in two homilies in the Basilica under solemn circumstances (The body of the Lord and Solemnity of San Marino), finally two press releases close to the referendum, appreciated by many for their clarity and tone. Diverse vleisure of “sign yes” have taken on evident ideological tones, with typical slogans: «Nor God, nor Church, but women decide for themselves...". The “no” it was essentially supported by two formations: a secular one, with rational reasons, of science and anthropology; the other constituted by the Council of Ecclesial Aggregations (about ten). Officially the parties have appealed for freedom of conscience. But different parties (some of the government of the Republic) have given full support to the campaign for “Yes”.

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(D). According to the official statistics of 2019, on a population of 33.860 inhabitants the San Marino Catholics constitute the 97,2% of the population, made up of baptized people. Whereas the 77,28% of voters voted in favor of legalizing abortion, perhaps the result of this referendum is not a paradigm of the feelings of contemporary society? Faced with this quorum, How many Catholics could there be who, after having voted in favor of the law on abortion, then went to Holy Mass on Sunday after leaving the polls?, feeling with a conscience in perfect order? If so, does not believe that we would be faced with a split between being Catholic and putting into practice what our faith considers a good that is never and under any circumstances available, human life?

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R. Frankly, I didn't expect such a sensationally unbalanced outcome. It is evident that even in San Marino the conditioning of the dominant culture weighs heavily, secularization and the split between faith and life: many are Christians without ever having decided to be! Perhaps this referendum could have been avoided with mediation between the political forces. However, regardless of the outcome, it was the occasion of a leap of awareness and responsibility: for Catholics to be more coherent in bearing witness to the Gospel of life and for everyone to support a culture and politics favorable to the family.

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(D). In Monday's edition 27 September the newspaper of the Bishops of Italy, L'Avvenire, talks about many issues to be resolved after the "yes" from the Republic of San Marino. The Bishops' newspaper highlights the failure to indicate a time limit which could lead to the possibility of abortion up to the ninth month, with the risk of creating a free port for free abortion within Italian territory. He thinks this risk could translate into reality?

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R. I hope that the law that will be introduced in the Republic of San Marino is formulated in such a way as to take into account the sensitivity in favor of the lives of many San Marino people. At the Great and General Council (Parliament) requests to this effect have already been filed. The low turnout at the polls should be considered a real defeat, but this data also tells the relative value of the referendum outcome. Far from imagining a "Catholic abortion" - abortion is always and in any case a crime - I hope that we arrive at a balanced law, that truly manages to leave no one behind and does not limit itself to adopting the ideology of waste. The first commitment will consist in closely monitoring the evolution of the political debate on the subject, with the aim of preventing the failed Italian experience and the excesses of certain European abortive legislation, and to keep alive the humanitarian and Christian tradition of San Marino. The second commitment is “be close”: save lives, help mothers, support associations pro-life; not last, educational commitment towards young people and adults. Therefore, I have reasons to hope that a free port for free abortion will not be created.

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(D). During the referendum campaign the opposing parties also argued heatedly over the so-called "selective abortion" which would allow the killing of children with Down syndrome, or to children suffering from anomalies which are not incompatible with a life worth living. We ask her: the Titan (N.d.R. The hill where the ancient settlement of the Serenissima Republic of San Marino stands is called Monte Titano), it could not run the risk of changing into the ancient Mount Taygetos, the hill from which the Spartans, according to mythological tales, they threw down deformed newborns or those judged too weak to live and grow according to the aesthetic and physical patterns of Greek culture?

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R. I don't think it's relevant nor do I think it's right to compare the San Marino people to the Spartans. It is necessary not to identify that 77% Of “Yes” to abortion with the extremely aggressive and ideological attitude of some groups¹. The Referendum in San Marino was celebrated as a proactive referendum to ask for decriminalisation. However, the request also raises the possibility of an abortion without limitations. In fact, it only takes into account the woman's point of view. The rights of the unborn child are not adequately considered. There is no consideration of community responsibility. There are many possibilities for maternity protection in our time, considered scientific progress, economic resources, increased social sensitivity. It must not happen that a woman voluntarily terminates her pregnancy for economic reasons or due to lack of help and protection. Now the word goes to the legislator. It is hoped that a legislative framework of real help to women will be offered, of protection of life and acceptance of conscientious objection. There will certainly be legislation different from the current one; a freedom will be given that was not previously foreseen. I hope it is not an incentive to abortion, to a carelessness in decisions or - as Pope Francis recently said - "a very bad habit of killing".

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(D). The condition of decadence in which we find ourselves at an ecclesial level is evident, the Church being world in the world, as evidenced by the dissociation between being Catholic and living and thinking Catholic which leads to a majority of 77,28% in favor of the abortion law. Allow us to ask a question that is not easy to ask a bishop: as pastors caring for souls and as theologians, how many serious responsibilities we have, in the face of all this? We have recently had cases of Italian priests who have publicly declared themselves in favor of euthanasia with great coverage in the national media. Of course, these are few cases, but the resonance of these few is destined to create scandal and disorientation among the People of God, already too disoriented. It's not that we have lost the perception of the sacredness of The gift of life within the very context of training for the ministerial priesthood? This is why we ask you: where we can start again?

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R. I repeat: one cannot be Catholic and deny the very principles of Catholicism, such as the absolute right to life and the human dignity of the conceived, as I had the opportunity to underline on the feast of the Patron Saint and Founder Marino, the 3 last September. There are Catholics involved on the social front, on human rights and on the major issues of ecology. Some others accentuate the attention to the protection of non-negotiable ethical values; sometimes it seems that a gap emerges between the two perspectives. I felt the duty to reiterate to both of them the Gospel of God's love for man, the Gospel of the dignity of the person and the Gospel of life are one single and indivisible Gospel. I also offer another consideration to be interpreted in the right direction. We are paying close attention, spending resources and effort, to human promotion. We can only appreciate the work, eg, of the diocesan Caritas, the testimony of volunteering, Pastoral programs in favor of the emergencies and needs of the people. However, I would like just as much impetus for evangelization. I would like to highlight the primacy of the announcement of Jesus Christ more: be hope in a wounded world! In the next few days we will draw up a sort of "roadmap" in our Diocese:

– support for our faithful in the experience of a faith capable of interacting with the world and raising hopes;

– accompaniment of people in difficulty, spiritual guidance and appropriate catechesis;

– convergent work of the pastoral offices on the theme of life;

– sustainability of a family counseling center;

– celebration of the Vigil for emerging Life e, like in Italy, of the Day for Life.

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(D). Rod Dreher wrote the book The Benedict option, to be understood as the escape of Benedict from Norcia who dares to separate from the Empire now corrupt and devastated by the barbarian invaders in order to rediscover his own origins, one's roots and the Christian identity which today in the world sounds like an unpronounceable blasphemy". Think about us Catholics, without ceasing to be world within the world, but also adverse to certain logics of this world, from abortion to euthanasia and for this reason hated by the world when necessary (cf.. GV 15, 18-21), we will end up arriving at a new "Benedict option" suitable for our contemporary society?

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R. I know Rod Dreher's book The Benedict option. We also talked about it for a long time. We were able to appreciate interesting and certainly positive results. I wouldn't want the vocation of "yeast in dough" to be weakened, the will to take on and "inhabit" this time of ours. We cannot give in to the syndrome of feeling besieged. Also a "Catholic" agricultural cooperative, or a “Catholic” school, more than commendable initiatives, they must engage in dialogue and offer inspiration to everyone.

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(D). We asked one of its presbyters to paint their Bishop for us, he responded like this: «My Bishop is a believer of solid faith and a true pastor. He is always ready to go out of his way for his priests, which he would never abandon in the solitude and discouragement of the dark night. It is always present, and he is very jealous of his priests, knowing full well how jealous God is of all of us". What effect does it have on you to know that one of your priests responded to us like this??

R. (The Bishop responds with a smile)

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From the island of Patmos, 6 October 2021

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