杏MAP导航

Giada Aquilino - Vatican City

鈥淔ather, you take care of souls鈥�. This is the phrase that Father Rosario Lo Bello has heard repeatedly since 2009 when he became pastor of the Saint Paul the Apostle Parish in Syracuse and began to carry out his pastoral and social ministry of what he calls a 鈥渞eaffirmation of the public spaces鈥� of the city, through raising awareness, empowerment and studying the landscape. Supporting him are a thousand parishioners from the Graziella neighborhood on the island of Ortigia. Only fishermen once frequented this island. Now it is shrouded in poverty, degradation and drug dealing. It is a raging river, Father Rosario tells Vatican News, while recounting his own dedication renewed each day, in defense of its panoramic, environmental and natural rights. Betraying a sense of relief, he confesses that in recent years he has found a type of 鈥渓egitimization鈥� in Laudato si鈥� by 杏MAP导航 Francis.

A stretch of the Pillirina coast

Contrast between modernity and backwardness

鈥淎fter the war, in the 鈥�50s鈥�, he explains, this area 鈥渦nderwent considerable industrial development鈥� in the name of 鈥渕odernity鈥� that entered the internal fabric of that part of Sicilian society 鈥渋n a highly invasive manner.鈥� However, this modernity did not keep with 鈥渢rue and proper social development鈥�. The young, 45-year-old pastor from Syracuse, with a doctorate in Dogmatic Theology from the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Palermo, and former member of a group of researchers on the History of Medieval Philosophy at Naple鈥檚 L鈥橭rientale University, who currently teaches History of Theology at Saint Paul鈥檚 in Catania, speaks about the local industrial zone 鈥� mostly oil and metalworking 鈥� as a source of 鈥渨ealth鈥� for the inhabitants over the years. Prior to the pandemic, he says, these two industries generated the only dependable wages in the city. That reality, he adds, always existed side by side a 鈥渃ontext of backwardness, both from the cultural, civil and political perspectives鈥�.

According to Father Rosario, 鈥淭he middle-class sector in Syracuse was never forward-thinking. Even Christians engaged in social reflection鈥�, he affirms, 鈥渙ften preferred to take refuge in abstract scholarship that helped foster a set of leaders largely devoid of cultural and social history. It is a bit like what all Sicilian cities were like in the 鈥�60s and 鈥�70s 鈥� businessmen and real-estate owners 鈥� who accumulated a certain amount of wealth. What impresses me is that today in Syracuse there are very few libraries鈥�, he observes, 鈥渋n comparison with the number of inhabitants鈥� 鈥� over 100 thousand. In addition, the city is 鈥渃onstantly losing the young because there is no university. They prefer to attend universities in northern Italy鈥�.

It is, therefore, a city of 鈥渁dolescents, adults, the elderly, but those between 20 and 40 years of age are missing.鈥� Unfortunately, he points out, 鈥渢he steady increase in wages slowed little by little, especially in the last few years, causing a lot of poverty with no future in sight. I realize as a pastor, that many young people whose parents are unemployed do not have the possibility to study. They do not have access to enough bandwidth to take classes online, nor do they have money for books鈥�. The coronavirus crisis aggravates such difficulties, especially for those working 鈥渦nder the table鈥� who have no 鈥減ension and cannot request unemployment benefits鈥�.

Father Lo Bello teaching a group of young people

A protected marina

At the end of the 鈥�90s, Father Rosario continues, 鈥渨hen it was obvious that industrial activity was slowing down, people lost jobs and the negative effects of industrial emissions began to be noticed on the health of the inhabitants. So, a second mirage for Syracuse was born: tourism 鈥� a tourism that was obviously anchored in positive values, for example, that of recovering and using archeological and architectural assets鈥�. This plan, however, was characterized by 鈥減oor planning throughout the territory鈥�. The priest cites the Regulatory Plans of 2005: 鈥渢hrough a vast array of variants鈥�, it opened the way to the 鈥渢otal urbanization鈥� of the territory which then 鈥渕ade it more attractive to national and international investment鈥�.

The city, he says, 鈥渆xpanded in a monstrous way鈥� with the creation of new neighborhoods 鈥渢hat remained disconnected鈥� from the others. 鈥淧articularly in the open areas in the south of Syracuse there was the possibility of constructing six resorts, all of which could host a high volume of potential tourists鈥�, along the coast 鈥渨here urbanization had not been strong鈥�. Over the years, Father Rosario explains, two were completed: 鈥渢he Fanusa and the Arenella鈥�. Land had been selected for the others, including along the Prillirina beachfront, 鈥渁 stretch of the Plemmirio coastal area of the Maddalena Peninsula which is a protected marine area since 2009鈥� whose praises were sung by Virgil in the Aeneid. Father Rosario continues saying all this generated a movement against overdevelopment. A 鈥済rassroots movement succeeded in blocking the construction of these resorts, finding in Saint Paul the Apostle parish a place for reflection on identity which brought together scouts and members of Catholic Action from Legambiente, Arci, Italia Nostra鈥�.

Demonstration against building in Syracuse

He remembers one demonstration in which the parish symbolically dramatized 鈥淪yracuse鈥檚 funeral caged within a concrete shroud鈥�, and another in which 鈥渨e carried plants and small flowers to one of the city鈥檚 urban planning meetings as a provocation鈥�.

For Father Lo Bello, 鈥渢he Regulatory Plans do not represent an idea connected to the collective interest in the city鈥檚 territorial plan, but it is often an exchange mechanism meant to promote the interests of some to the detriment of the great majority of the city. Obviously, organized crime is no stranger to all of this鈥�.

Shared spaces

鈥淥ur reflection started for two primary reasons, which we found confirmed in Laudato si鈥� 鈥�, Father Rosario explains. The first is that 鈥渁 panorama has a value that goes beyond the purposes for which it can be commercially exploited鈥�. The second is that 鈥渨ithin the city, there should be spaces in which nature cannot be touched by anyone. I am talking about spaces鈥�, he emphasizes, 鈥渢hat must continue to be shared. This idea is very important for us believers because shared spaces are places where everyone can go, the rich and the poor, the young and those who are not so young. This is especially so regarding coastal areas. They are not places destined for only certain types of people, but are places shared by various age groups and classes, where everyone can go to the beach鈥�. He underlines that the 杏MAP导航, in paragraph 151 of his 2015 Encyclical, also stated how necessary it is to 鈥減rotect those common areas, visual landmarks and urban landscapes which increase our sense of belonging, of rootedness, of 鈥榝eeling at home鈥� within a city which includes us and brings us together鈥�, urging that we 鈥渟ee the larger city as space to be shared with others鈥�. 

Retaliation and support

This pastor is dedicated to restoring the good that creation has to offer to be enjoyed freely for decades to come. Dark moments were not lacking in which he faced retaliation, threats and insinuations against him even on a personal level.

鈥淎t first it was very difficult. I suffered a lot鈥�, Father Rosario confesses. 鈥淚n the face of some threats, my mother, a very self-controlled woman, would cry鈥�, he recounts with a touch of emotion. 鈥淏ut when Laudato si鈥� by 杏MAP导航 Francis appeared, it was as if all of us 鈥榤isunderstood鈥� priests like myself found legitimization. Now people understand that, if a pastor wants to focus on the degradation of a city, on shared spaces and on the possibility that its panoramic and natural resources be not only in the hands of those who are well-off but also for the poorest, it is because he is following the Church鈥檚 social doctrine. So today, despite everything, it is easier to carry out this mission鈥�.

As if to reinforce his experience as a priest, he expresses this certainty: 鈥淚 highly thank my community, especially my young people, because they are the ones who immediately perceived that the rumors they were circulating about me came from malicious sources, trumped up around the table, as the investigators later discovered. The young people in my parish, about twenty of them, have always supported me: I truly appreciate them鈥�.

Demonstration on Syracuse coast

Future generations

To his parishioners of every age, Father Rosario continues to communicate the 杏MAP导航鈥檚 invitation found in Laudato si鈥�: that 鈥�we build together鈥�.

鈥淚t is an act of love. Christ says: 鈥榣ove your neighbor as yourself鈥� and our neighbors are the children of these people or those who will be their grandchildren. To love your neighbor also means to leave behind a healthy environment and land to those who come after us. So, the idea that we must respect our planet in order to hand it on to the next generations, comes under Christ鈥檚 commandment鈥�.

In addition, both Father Rosario and the parish鈥檚 young people have joined Jesuit Father Francesco Occhetta鈥檚 initiative called 鈥淐onnected Community. 鈥淲e are working on a political and social analysis of the city, taking inspiration from Laudato si鈥�, and inviting feedback from the parish. Unfortunately, politics in Syracuse often continue to be uninterested in urban and environmental problems. We are aware that it is not enough to direct people toward a certain path, but that we must support them as well. For this reason, we hope to create soon a school to provide education to help those who have dropped out of school 鈥� there is a drop-out rate of 11% in Syracuse 鈥� to reintegrate them into academic and scholastic programs, even through various types of tutoring鈥�.

This means that the journey of Saint Paul the Apostle parish in Syracuse does not stop here.