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Letter to my soul

Siena, Palazzo Pubblico, The Allegory of Good Government, the figure of PEACE (Ambrogio Lorenzetti, 14th century) © The Picture Art Collection / Alamy Foto Stock

Solomeo, 17 March 2022

Today, just like a year ago, upon the return of the swallows, my gaze, in this beloved Solomeo of mine, is raised towards their circling and their chirping; now the heart is still grieving as it was in that heavy time of the pandemic, which was frightening then, and now seems to be in decline.

But today, once again, men have risen up against men, and it seems impossible to me that this should be done by outraging our humanity. I think that something in the world is trying to overwhelm the values of brotherhood and solidarity, but I am convinced that this time of pain will not last long, because we will all know how to return to the light, led by the wise men who rule the world.

To them I turn, as a simple man and as a brother, with the spirit of Francis of Assisi, my inspiring father, a genius of human relations and dialogue; to them I raise the vow of my soul, like the voice of so many others in the world, so that disagreement may give way to agreement.

I know that future generations will judge us by the extent to which we are able to be constructive, and they will not like our being destructive, because behind every building, every road, every tree, every workshop there is the strength, the passion, the work of many years and many wills that cannot disappear along with matter, but continue to live.

It will be the children who will wake us up, with their innocence, their simplicity, their joy, with the strength that grows in their little hearts, so that tomorrow they will be the ones to rule the world, because the world has changed, and I believe that wars have lost all meaning if they ever had any.

Only in this way can wealth, the wealth that we receive as a gift from Creation without harming it or anyone else, be shared by all. This is the voice I would like to reach those who currently rule Creation, so that they may look to the future without ever forgetting the eternity of human values, namely work, the family, the spirituality of any religion, even that of those who do not believe.

We are the custodians of a legacy that has been able to rise from its ashes many times, but we must treasure this experience in order to become cautious and caring guardians, able to save the world before it turns into ashes again.

Although faraway peoples have different habits, our common human heritage unites us rather than dividing us, and it is precisely through diversity that new life is created without going to the detriment of individual identities. War is often the child of fear, and sometimes the rulers are also afraid. Today, the world is closer than ever, and until now there has never been an instance that gives us the opportunity of loving each other in our different customs.

If not only the people but also the wise rulers of the earth realise that different ancestries can live side by side, because there is no one earth, but the earth is the mother of all, I am certain that the bright future in which I believe is now so close that I need only stretch out my hand to make it a living and lasting reality.

I do not know what language God speaks, but to all hearts he says the same words: love one another.

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