Rimini Meeting, Mattarella: ‘We are living through heinous wars; let humanity help to reject hatred’

‘Solidarity, social friendship and selfless love can open up new horizons for politics, the economy and civic life. We are living in a time when heinous wars are being waged, inequalities are growing, whilst a tiny oligarchy is amassing power greater than that of many sovereign states.’ These are the words of the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, in a message sent to the President of the Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples Foundation, Bernhard Scholz.

“It is from the humanity of women and men that we can draw the strength to reject conformity, passivity, hatred and aversion to those who are different or foreign, and to educate people in the ways of peace,” added Mattarella, who wished “the Meeting, and all those taking part in the events in Rimini, every success in continuing to generously build horizons of humanity”.

‘The Rimini Meeting is a significant event. Now in its 47th year, it embodies a history and, in times of extraordinary change, aims to continue helping to shape history, consistently weaving together the threads of its own. This year, the focus has been on love,” writes Head of State Mattarella in his message.

‘The closing line of Dante’s *Divine Comedy* – “The love that moves the sun and the other stars” – does not merely express a feeling born of individual experience. Love that opens us up to others, beyond ourselves and our present, is an inner force that takes on a relational – and therefore social – dimension of great value. Linking the ‘I’ to the ‘you’, to the ‘we’, breaks down loneliness and gives direction to human journeys,” continues Mattarella.

‘It is the opposite of that false realism which leads to inaction, mistrust and resignation, when in fact the destiny of communities is to take charge of their own future. Pope Leo XIV referred to this in his *Magnifica humanitas*. A humanity not shut away behind illusory walls and condemned to selfishness, but one that is open and sensitive to the injustices and tragedies of those who suffer, ready to build new bridges,” added the President of the Republic, quoting the Pope’s encyclical.