Controversy over the Christmas concert in a parish in Bologna. In church the choir sings “Hello beautiful”.
It might all seem normal, if we were at the PD club's Christmas party or in an old people's house. And instead it is a normal Sunday afternoon in December in the parish of Santa Teresa del Bambin Gesù in Bologna. Two peace flags on the left, the image of the virgin on the right, il crucified to the center. The group of adult singers sings (in church) the anthem of the partisans when (Perhaps) one would expect just normal “You come down from the stars”. And everyone applauds.
If there had been Don Camillo by Giovannino Guareschi, at the end of the concert he asked the crucifix what it felt like to find himself behind a choir that he wanted to join “Hello beautiful” in the Christmas lineup. “Jesus, you can see how far we have come? – Don Camillo said in one of the famous films during Peppone's election as mayor – I tell her that one day they will come all the way in here and trample us underfoot”. Maybe today we really got there.
Last night in the Bolognese parish of the Savena district there was a program “choral concert” for the “Natale most intercultural there is”. And the poster already hinted (Perhaps) the tone of the event. To warm the vocal courts were present the “microcosm” (multi-ethnic choir from Bologna), il “Choir to Majora: the voice workshop”, il “Bassi youth choir&co.” and the “Mikrokosmos of the little ones”. Director of the evening: Michele Napolitano.
“Everything seemed normal – tell the Giornale.it a girl present at the evening – first I heard i sing children Christmas songs, then it was the adults' turn”. At a certain point the “surprise”. “The choristers sang 'Bella ciao’ – the witness continues – and it doesn't seem like it's really part of the Christmas repertoire”.
The video of the performance partisan (look here) is triggering the most varied reactions. “I was shocked and disconcerted – adds the girl – It's crazy that they start singing those songs in church”. Not only that. Because apparently “the choirmaster” after having “talked about the partisans” would also have “used a very clear allusion: he did not mention the current government, but he said that we are in a historical moment where a limitation of freedom is occurring”. All with the Blessed Sacrament not far away.
Political controversy explodes immediately. “The 'red parish priests’ they are certainly nothing new – attack Umberto Bosco, municipal councilor of the League – ma, since Salvini compromised the economic and ideological interests of those who worked in indiscriminate reception, the red and white cooperatives have strengthened their alliance against the government in office. In this way they think they will alienate the League's Catholic electorate but they will be disappointed again”.
For the Honorable Galeazzo Bignami it's about “a mess” in a city where more and more “God sees you and Stalin hears you”: “I won't stay here to remember the dozens of priests killed by partisans who sang that same song – says to Giornale.it – I won't even argue about the political meaning of that song. But I think it unacceptable that a war song is divisive, evidently and notoriously characterized by a political meaning, it should not be intaonated in that context and at this time”.
It is not clear whether parish priest of Santa Teresa was aware of the lineup or if he only made the church available (we called the parish, but the don was not available and we are waiting to be contacted again). However, the unequivocal video remains. And that song that clashes with the crucifix forced against his will to listen.
source: http://www.ilgiornale.it/news/cronache/coro-natale-interculturale-e-chiesa-intona-bella-ciao-1617513.html?mobile_detect=false
