by Andrea Togni *
In addition to being a father and husband, I am an entrepreneur and manager: I appreciate those who express their efforts and, if necessary, withdraw from a function, leaving room for the new. Asking for help is an act of love towards the organization to which you belong and towards the one from whom you have asked for support, the hand to hold on to. The responsibility of a position implies the ability to ‘know how to respond’ and, when tiredness sets in, resignation is in turn a strong form of communication, an opportunity for discussion and the possibility of change.
“The effort and constant tension that the role of bishop placed on me led me further and further away from who I am. I can no longer imagine myself in the position I have tried so hard to make my own. I can no longer play the role of bishop of Lugano.” with these words Archbishop Lazzeri motivated his resignation.
I am culturally Christian, then of Catholic faith, but I admit that, since the departure of Archbishop Corecco, I have struggled to align myself with the trajectory of our Diocese, which is the unifying link of the parishes, in turn the primary element of the Church and linking cell between Rome and the Faithful. I wish for a Guide who knows how to speak a simple, immediate, concrete language, who represents a modern and contemporary Christianity, who can go beyond dogmas and be in everyday life, not idealized on Sunday in church.
I wish for a Church which does not claim the right to be the custodian of morality, but which knows how to stimulate and reawaken the spirituality of being. Giussani recalled how, in the Gospel of John, Christ said “Simon, do you love me?”, not “Do not sin, do not betray, do not …”. In the Holy Scriptures, Christ represents the spirituality that manifests itself through the visible, the concreteness of gestures, of the friendship of a community of values and culture. He is above all a man, before being a son of God, surrounded by people moved by the pleasure of walking together. He didn’t order them what to do, but with his actions he made it clear that faith can permeate every day thing.
In Ticino there are young parish priests, present with an attitude and personality. Shepherds of men who, with their work, have been able to do what was done two thousand years ago: to originate the desire for Community. Perhaps they are not the only ones, perhaps they would not even want to be mentioned, but allow me to quote two names that struck me with their way of conveying the Word: Don Marco Notari, close to teenagers and scouts, or Don Emanuele Di Marco with his ‘Oratorio and the Ape del Cuore in Lugano, tangibly close to young people and the needy. These two priests know how to express themselves with gestures that give hope that change is possible: it’s time for a new Bishop, who knows how to be and be among people and speak to them in an understandable and attractive way.
* CEO & Partner BCO Group / Candidate for the Grand Council, PLR Lugano