Naples transplant, Bishop Nola: ‘Hunting down the guilty parties does not ease the pain’

Nola (Naples), 4 March (LaPresse) – ‘The hunt for the guilty parties may be satisfying for a moment, but it can never compensate for such a great loss. It is one thing to rightly recognise criminal responsibility, which those in charge will have to examine and punish, but it is quite another to assume that the justice of the courts or, even worse, private justice will ease the pain that no one but Jesus can console with the balm of the Spirit of love.’ These were the words of the Bishop of Nola, Monsignor Francesco Marino, in his homily at the funeral of little Domenico Caliendo. “The human feelings that are stirring at this moment, perhaps understandably, and we must not be afraid of them, are anger, disappointment and excruciating pain. We ask ourselves why, we want someone to blame, we want those who have done wrong to suffer as Domenico suffered. But, just as these evil desires assail us, I am sure, we end up feeling even worse, even more guilty. Yes, brothers and sisters, because when we truly listen to the voice of our conscience, we know full well that suffering can never be cured with resentment, evil cannot be overcome with more evil, and grief cannot be processed with a desire for revenge,” added the bishop.