2024-04-28 14:30:15
BOLZANO. «I have been a bishop now for almost thirteen years. It has become more complicated.”
This was confessed by Monsignor Ivo Muser, a guest in the editorial office for a close, profound dialogue on numerous topics related to spirituality, religion, ethics and morality, conducted by the director of Alto Adige Alberto Faustini.
With a focus on today’s South Tyrol: concrete, real. Problematic. A province where, according to the bishop, “there is a lot of me and less and less of us”.
Bishop Muser, how has your flock changed?
«I don’t see here in Alto Adige that everyone is angry against the Church, against the bishop, against the priests. I don’t live in an anti-clerical climate, but the connection to the Church has changed. The personal bond and then also the community one, yes. The Pope often speaks not only of a changing era but of a change of era from within. For example, also what he said about spirituality. Many times I ask myself: but what does spirituality mean today? All and nothing. Everyone is looking, but then also very, very subjective, individual. I start from my assumptions and sell them as the truth. There is also the inability, within our society, to engage in dialogue. Many points of view, but they don’t communicate with each other. And we also see all this within the Church.”
Even on the upper floors?
«If we think about the highest level, the Pope; It has become difficult to be Pope. Truly, it will always have been difficult, but now… There is the saying Roma locuta, cause finite, but today it is not like that at all. The Pope says one thing and then the debate begins, whereas previously it ended. The Pope was once consulted as the last resort.”
And on the ground floor, how is it going?
«In my opinion, the biggest challenge we have within society, but also within the Church: so much me and less and less us. And sometimes even this self sells itself as us. And we see it in many discussions. I also met anti-vaxers during the pandemic, it made an impression on me; not now to criticize people, but the arguments, the basic attitude, everyone remains in their own enclosure. And he doesn’t move. He doesn’t talk. “We have been offended, we are not considered”. I understand well, it was difficult for everyone, but I can also start from the assumption: even those who made the rules are not perfect and can also be criticized, but they had to propose something… It’s like that with politicians too. And all these things also have an impact within the Church, in my opinion. We have many open projects and as a bishop I sometimes say to myself: I wouldn’t want to refuse dialogue to anyone, it’s the only way I have. At least talk, at least take the other position seriously, at least be interested in the other position. An image: as a bishop I often have the impression of always being between the chairs, in the sense that I hear things from multiple points of view, I find myself in the middle. Ultimately, we must be honest: the ecclesial ministry itself, but then also the Pope’s ministry at a universal level, then at a lower, local level, that of the bishop, is to promote unity. The unity that does not mean uniqueness, but unity in differences. It became difficult. Even just in these 13 years there has been a change. At least that’s my feeling.”
A crisis that also affects associations, parties…
«We left with a deputy, he impresses me. Once upon a time, even thinking about our land, there was a single block. For example, even as a child, what did I hear? “We must be united to have more weight towards Rome too”. That’s how it worked.”
What is your role today?
«Ultimately the bishop, and I don’t say this out of false humility, is not the most competent person, but he is a symbol. Sometimes I think, I hope at least, that this symbol works, even if we think of our land, right? Even for example from a political point of view, I always say: in Gargitter’s time it was more difficult than now, because he was always criticized as he moved, always. But we hope that he keeps the symbol, the symbol that values individuals, thoughts, that does not close a discussion, that does not exclude. For example, I am also convinced of this: for the coexistence within our small South Tyrolean society, it should not be underestimated that in the end Germans and Italians declared themselves Catholic. Despite everything, they found themselves on certain values. This too has now changed considerably, but in all of this the bishop, even the bishop in the most tense political times, yes, could and I hope can still carry out this service, which I consider important”.
What are the open construction sites?
«Perhaps the biggest construction site is the transmission of faith to the new generations. Sometimes our children come to school, they don’t know our father, they don’t know the sign of the cross, they don’t know this world anymore. A simple prayer on Sunday. All these pillars, let’s call them pillars.”
Does this also apply in the valleys, where the German-speaking South Tyrolean community is the majority?
«Sometimes I even have the impression that the parishes in the city are more consolidated. Because they have followed a certain path, perhaps even a certain process; now in the valleys we sometimes have the impression that traditions… They are a precious thing, but if the content is missing… The transmission of faith from one generation to another, we struggle with this. Because we must be honest: ultimately faith must be transmitted within our families, within our homes. Not to mention the role of women. Many of us learned the faith from our mother or grandmother. Of course also from the father, but women have always had a very important role in the transmission of the faith.”
Hence the question of vocations.
«We are in bad shape, we have to be very honest. Of course we come from a context… We were very fertile: many priests, many men and women religious, many missionaries who left above all from Alto Alige and Trentino. We work hard. Naturally it has to do with this: if you no longer know the faith, you cannot become a priest. This becomes a real challenge, even for the communities themselves.”
Then there are the abuses. The diocese has long been at the forefront of talking about it and beyond. There is almost the risk that it will be said: in Bolzano there are many cases, but it is only because elsewhere there is little talk about it…
«Here we must be clear. It always makes an impression on me: when I was a seminarian or even as young priests we didn’t talk about it. No one has prepared us for these things. We realize it more and more: it is a wound within our society, because everyone says it now. If I say it then naturally they can criticize me, now it’s about others and not about one’s own enclosure, but we have more than 90% of these cases within families, within kinship, within the most intimate relationships. Here in my opinion we must be clear and we must realize this wound. There is not yet full awareness. Sometimes I have the impression that the only ones who deal with it are us, forced or not, but we are the only ones. But it doesn’t work that way.”
At first they looked at you a little askance…
«Things have changed, for example now in all Italian dioceses we have designated offices. Even in Italy, not to mention Austria, Germany, there is a sensitivity there, yes, perhaps different, and we must take note of it. Then in the end even the Popes are forced to deal with this wound and take note of it.”
Another construction site, in the Church, is the role of women.
«We must be honest: the role of women is very much discussed in all directions. Sometimes even in an ideological way. It has become a very popular construction site. But everything can be discussed within the Church.”
Even the marriage of priests?
«There is no closure towards discussions, not even on celibacy. But sometimes I say to myself: are the only ones in our society who still want to get married Catholic priests? It’s all become a bit strange, because a large part of our population has the possibility of getting married and they don’t get married…”
How do you judge Alto Adige, a rich society that is perhaps not even that rich anymore?
«The housing issue worries me a lot. In my opinion, this phenomenon has increased, even thinking about last year: I met several people who work and who don’t have a home. Terrible, in my opinion it’s terrible. And it becomes a very serious problem from a social point of view. It does not work like that. You can’t work and in the evening you don’t know where to go to sleep. This is another construction site.”
Does the Church want to intervene concretely?
«Yes, it has really become a construction site. In dealing with Caritas we often face this problem. When we talk about poverty, we think above all of immigrants, but more and more South Tyrolean families can’t make it, they don’t make it to the end of the month. Certainly in a context where many of us can afford a lot, even from an economic point of view, but it is a problem, I would say, and also a very serious one.”
On the other hand, we are no longer satisfied, the suicide rate in South Tyrol is very high.
«There is the question of gratitude involved. When there is no measure, we are no longer satisfied with anything. Then also this race: more and more, always forward. Sometimes I ask myself: where will we get to? Thinking now also about certain groups within our society, about tourism. We complain, but what more do we want? I heard once, I don’t know if it’s true: inside the concentration camps they didn’t have the problem of suicide, there was the desire to live, to survive, to make it, even if my dignity is trampled on every day.”
2024-04-28 14:30:15