Documents Iii

DOCUMENTS III INDEX I. Silone -- Confiteor 1961 – Recognition of the remains of St. Berardo’s body Letters belonging to Romolo Liberale Family Tree of the Berardi, Counts of the Marsi. (St. Berardo, St. Rosalia and St. Filippa Mareri) The Mazarinettes Torlonia – from Wikipedia Fucino, the clear blue lake – E. Lear Fishermen from Luco dei Marsi Cathedral of St. Sabina and Lake Fucino The portal of access to the Seminary of the Diocese of Marsia – Pescina (AQ) – inscription on the arch beam Bas-relief in the half-moon over the Portal of the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Graces: St. Sabina Martyr. The “Little Madonna’s” belonging to Torlonia Luigi Colantoni, Bishop’s Vicar, historian Commemorative stone and altar of St. Francis “Between the lines of my pages the Truth is hidden” (I. Silone) I. Silone -- Confiteor Confession: Ignazio Silone in one of his Reflections – An auto-interview transcribed by the historian Vittoriano Esposito. CONFITEOR -------------------------------------------------- by Ignazio Silone ----------------------------------------- On the occasion of the commemoration of Ignazio Silone two decades after his death, which came about in a clinic in Genève on August 22 1978, we are presenting some documents of exceptional relevance, regarding the life as well as the works and the thoughts of the Author. This is our answer to the attempts of “moral assassination” which continues his persecution for journalistic scoops of little or no value. Among all these documents, we point out the Confiteor: in four typewritten folders, found in original text by his nephew Romolo Tranquilli, it can be said that Mr. Silone himself can be found herein. It would be a good idea to remember that in the “Fiera Letteraria” (the Literary Fair) of April 1954, in a special edition edited by Guglielmo Petroni, the text appeared with a few variations under the title ‘40 domande a I. Silone’ (‘40 queries to I. Silone’). Instead this is about a real and true interview to himself, the same Mr. Silone presumably believed might be useful to present a useful pondering for himself and for his readers. Borrowing a well-known title from his fellow citizen Benedetto Croce, one could be brought to think of a kind of “contribution to criticizing himself”, since the “Silone case” had divided Italian critics. (V.E.) -- How do you explain your tendency to reflect on - I discovered it last. In the two or three priest’s and criticize yourself? colleges where I had studied as a boy, I had never - Maybe this came to me from that half-hour of even seen a Bible. “meditation” in the evening that I learned as a -- What sort of job, then, did you dream about boy. I cannot do without this. having later in life? -- Have you reflected upon this question: why are - A miller. They were the storytellers of the you a writer? countryside. - To communicate. -- What gift from Nature is the one most desired? -- Which writers do you think about, your - Good health. favourites, when you write? -- And now, your favourite hobbies? - About women, about men, who are restless, - To read, to make conversation. ready to ponder, themselves. -- And painting? Is there a contemporary painter -- What do you think you offer to them with your who impresses you in any particular way? writings? - Yes, Rouault. - At least a bit of company. -- What have been the most important -- And to the others, to occasional readers? encounters in your life? - Just a hint in the right direction. - Some women: among the famous people; Don -- What influence have critics had during your Orione, Antonio Gramsci, Trotsky, Leonhard growth as an author? Ragas, Albert Camus. - Maybe none. I have always had the impression, -- Which personalities of Italian history now are reading the censures about my books, that they stimulating for you? are not talking about me. - At the moment? Gioacchino da Fiore, Francis -- Your favourite narrators? Those you sometimes from Assisi, Pietro from Morrone (Celestine V), go back to read again? Carlo Cafiero. - Cervantes, Tolstoy, the author of the Book of Tobias and of Job. -- This latter is the most antique; why do you cite it for last? -- And those from our times? - Joshua, when he stopped the sun, and the - The French man Simone Weil. courageous soldier Schweik. -- The most important date in History? Why have you left the Party? [the Communist - December 25 of the year 1. Party – n. of translator] -- And in recent chronicles? - The battle for power holds no interest for me. - The 2 nd Vatican Council and the 20 th Congress However you have been in a political party for of the PCUS [Soviet Union’s Communist many years, during the entire length of the Party]. Fascist Era. -- And the military heroes you admire the most? - For a certain number of us, politics were, in those times, a different thing. -- Political parties, though, - I don’t believe in destiny -- And that he is also are also harbingers of ideas. of any sort. Progress is responsible for his own - Yes, but an idea adopted possible. -- By progress, I actions? by an institution easily mean a further - Certainly, in the same becomes Ideology, and its humanization of human measure that he is free. proposers, propagandists. relationships. -- Do you believe that a -- Could you conceive a -- Do you believe that Man perfect political order is democratic political life is free? possible? without political parties? - I think that Man can be - Unfortunately, no. - No. It would, however, be free. useful for political parties not to monopolize politics. -- What do you think about the Parliament? - I don’t think that the only possible form of democracy must be parliamentary. -- According to you, what would be preferable? - That it be based mostly on forms of direct democracy and reduce to a minimum the delegation of authority to professional politicians. -- What do you think about the attention that intellectuals pay to politics? - I think that this is worth respecting if it corresponds to a personal vocation: miserable or pitiful, according to the circumstances, when it is subject to a political apparatus. -- Do you believe in the destiny of progress? The cartel num. 73452 relative to Tranquilli Seco ndino fu Paolo in which, among other things, are reported his pseudonyms: Silone – Silone Ignazio – Silone Hippolito – Romano Simone – Fritz Nikel and Pasqini -- You don’t believe in the intellectual class does not liberty, wouldn’t be possibility of perfect exist. But in countries with spontaneously progressive? authorities, institutions? dictatorships, like those in - Not spontaneously. - Regrettably, no. Eastern Europe and in the -- What decides, in the final -- Don’t you believe in a Iberian peninsula, it can analysis, its character? Christian State? happen that intellectuals have a - Conscience. I mean, the - Between these two terms, vanguard role for a little while. conscience of its militants. State and Christianity, to me it -- Do you follow the rules: so -- All summed up, you are a seems that they are as not to be mistaken, do you pessimist. incompatible. always follow the working - Not at all. -- At least do you believe in a class? -- Do you have faith in Christian society? - That is a compass that has not Mankind? - A society in which Love is a been working for quite a while. - I have a certain amount of substitute the Law would be No single direction of the faith. I have faith that Man will Christian. working class exists. accept the inevitable pain of -- Since you insist on declaring -- There is however an Existence and supports it with yourself a Socialist, what is the orientation of the majority. some certainties. So I think meaning you give to this - Not everywhere and not that, in forced labor camps and word? identically. The working class prisons of totalitarian - The elimination of those can be Labourist, Socialist, countries, men can come forth economic and social obstacles Democratic-Christian, Peron- who will return sight to the that currently restrict the ist, Nazi, and so on. To follow blind. freedom of Man. it in every case would be folly. -- After this Mankind will be -- The working class IGNAZIO SILONE happy? organization, left to its own - No, old resentments will When Secondino Tranquilli survive, others will arise. -- Do you think it could be possible that fundamental freedoms could survive in a Socialist country? - Certainly. I will even add more: I think that in a situation of growing concentration of capital, there cannot be any possible freedom without a certain amount of social control. -- Like in Russia? - In Russia Socialism does not exist, on the contrary, it is a capitalist state. Not freedom, but its contrary. -- Do you believe that intellectuals could have something to do with guiding society. - In modern society, an independent and homogeneous 1961 – Recognition of the remains of St. Berardo’s body In the year 1961 a “coroner’s” recognition was carried out for St. Berardo of Marsia on the part of the then Bishop Domenico Valeri: - the mummified finger phalanges, from 1130 a.c. For Everlasting Memory Of The Event In the year of the Lord 1961, the third year of His Holiness Our Lord Father John XXIII’s Pontificate, the sixteenth year of the Most Excellent and Most Reverend Mons. Bishop of Marsia Domenico Valeri’s Episcopate, fourth year of the Most Reverend Parish Curate of the Pescinese Co-cathedral Church Don Antonio Ruscitti’s govern and at the end of the century … of St. Berardo, Cardinal Bishop of the Marsi, on the occasion of the solemn Centennial for St. Berardo, the Most Excellent and Most Reverend Bishop of the Marsi has arranged to effect the canonic recognition of the mortal remains of that same St.

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