Let us gather the legacy of Luca Attanasio “in order to continue building a world in which peace is more desired than war, in which kindness is more necessary than violence, in which solidarity is more effective than profit”. In these terms Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, recalled the witness of the Italian ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, killed five years ago in an ambush together with Carabinieri officer Vittorio Iacovacci and driver Mustapha Milambo, during a commemoration held, Sunday 22 February, at the cemetery of Limbiate, in the province of Monza and Brianza.

A dedication beyond duty, in the service of a better world
A few metres from the grave of the diplomat, who was killed at the age of 43 while personally accompanying a humanitarian mission of the World Food Programme, Parolin stressed that, while it is necessary to establish clearly the responsibilities for his death, Attanasio, as a Catholic, offered his life “in his vocation as an ambassador, leaving the vivid impression of a dedication capable of going beyond duty, challenging the very limit of what is necessary.” For the cardinal, he gave his life “by accepting the call to build a better world not only with thoughts and hypotheses, but with real, true and sincere words and actions”. And he gave it to his family, “to Zakia and his daughters, to his parents, to his sister, to the friends who still keep his closeness alive.”

Luca and the concreteness of charity
For the Secretary of State, Luca’s legacy is one of love made visible in the desire to draw near to those in need, in the “concreteness of charity”, through gestures that bear witness to “the many attentions reserved for the poorest and for the missionary communities he encountered in the exercise of his institutional duties.” His words as well, shaped by a formation at the school of the Word of God, enabled Attanasio, in his diplomatic missions, to make himself understood “in order to bring a message of peace and consolation, as well as competence.”

Mattarella: Italy looks to Africa with sentiments of humanity
At the same commemoration, a message was also delivered from the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, addressed to the Mayor of Limbiate and to the family of the ambassador killed in the Congo on 22 February 2021. “In the dramatic scenario of crisis that still afflicts the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” the Head of State writes, “the memory of Ambassador Attanasio and of his mission remains more exemplary than ever.” His dedication, Mattarella adds, “embodies the noble ideals of the Italian Republic, which looks to the African continent with a spirit of cooperation and sentiments of humanity. The value of the daily commitment of the servants of the Italian Republic who, with courage and a sense of duty, operate in territories marked by instability and danger, is reflected in the figure of Luca Attanasio and of those who were with him.”

Parolin at Mass: a life devoted to cooperation among peoples
Subsequently, Cardinal Parolin presided over a Eucharistic celebration in the church of San Giorgio in Limbiate. In his homily, the Secretary of State underlined that the memory of Attanasio, in his city, “continues to challenge the collective conscience, because there are lives which, even when tragically cut short, remain as an open question regarding the meaning of service, responsibility and dedication to the common good.” He recalled that his existence, “spent in the service of the State and in the promotion of cooperation among peoples, confronted complex contexts in which interest, prestige and power sometimes seem to prevail.”

Making choices according to the logic of faithful service
He concluded by stating that his figure continues to pose a demanding question to us: “which logic guides our personal and collective choices? That of immediate utility, or that of faithful service?” The desert into which the Gospel leads us, together with Jesus, “is not a place far removed from history, but the inner space in which it is decided how to pass through it.” For us as well, the test does not consist in the absence of alternatives, “but in the need to discern between what appears immediately effective and what conforms to the will of God.”

See: Parolin: l’eredità di Attanasio, un mondo dove la solidarietà è più efficace del guadagno