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Before the general audience, Francesco met with the parents of the priest who was murdered in Como on September 15. With them, Bishop Oscar Cantoni, who reminds Vatican News as “a priest capable of filling every man with sweetness”
Benedetta Capelli – Vatican City
It is the Pope, in the general audience, who recounts the meeting with the elderly parents of Don Roberto Malgesini, the street priest who loved the discarded, the last and the dispossessed. A month ago, his violent death in Como made the world discover the traits of a silent charity, made up of looks, care and love that does not ask to be repaid.
Francesco says that Don Roberto was killed while helping and talks about the tears of his parents:
The tears of these parents are “their” tears and each one of them knows how much he suffered when he saw this son who gave his life in the service of the poor. When we want to comfort someone, we can’t find the words. Why? Because we cannot reach his pain, because “his” pain is his, “his” tears are his. The same with us: the tears, “my” pain is mine, the tears are “mine” and with these tears, with this pain I turn to the Lord.
Monsignor Cantoni: Don Roberto, witness of charity
“A death that rekindles faith”: the Bishop of Como, Monsignor Oscar Cantoni reflect on the words used by the Pope:
A.- We are very grateful to Pope Francis for having received the entire family of Don Roberto Malgesini, the priest who was brutally murdered a month ago. The Pope blessed the parents of Don Roberto. It was a very moving moment. The Pope reminded us that these deaths rekindle the faith of God’s people. They are people who are already in heaven and from heaven they support the path of God’s people, sometimes hard, in a very special way and especially for those who live. directly for evangelization. Here we leave very consoled by this meeting, strengthened in faith and charity.
How did Don Roberto’s parents welcome this caress from the Pope?
A.- First of all with great emotion but also with great gratitude, knowing that through the Pope it was the whole Church that recognized her son and therefore had a great sign of the Church’s tenderness towards those who suffer.
Pope Francis, upon hearing the news of Don Roberto’s murder, made his closeness felt, he sent Cardinal Krajewski to visit his parents. Have all these posters comforted Don Roberto’s family as much as possible?
A.- Yes, the Pope sent Cardinal Krajewski to Como for the funeral liturgy, at the end of which he wanted to go to Alta Valtellina to bring a greeting and kiss the hands of Don Roberto’s parents. This was a moment of great delicacy and extreme closeness.
A month later, is it possible to reap the fruits of this violent death?
A.- There are many people who were moved by Don Roberto and still live in light of his testimony. He was always a silent witness, he acted very calmly. As he was silent when his voice was now among us, his testimony becomes unanimous and that is why many speak of him throughout Italy but I would dare to say it in other parts of the world as well.
What remains of your diocese of Don Roberto, of your care for the poor, of the care you had?
A.- Care and attention, a particular delicacy for people in suffering, especially for the poor, for the homeless, for refugees. But the characteristic of this priest was to fill people with sweetness and tenderness, so it was a very well directed charity, not so generically, but indiscriminately taken to everyone, whoever it was.
