In Padua it is the day of pain for the last farewell to Giulia Cecchettin, the young woman killed by her ex-boyfriend, Filippo Turetta.
The white coffin, covered with white roses, was welcomed by the subdued applause of the thousands of people present in the churchyard of the Basilica of Santa Giustina on which stands the blow-up showing the 22-year-old student, sitting on a green swing with tulle and flowers, and the writing "Giulia we love you". Behind the coffin, father Gino Cecchettin, brothers Elena and Davide, Giulia's grandmother and uncles. All family members wear a red ribbon against gender violence.
There was great emotion throughout the ceremony. Elena Cecchettin, Giulia's sister, always remained close to dad Gino, almost clinging to his arm, with her head resting on her shoulder and her eyes half closed. Next to him is his brother Davide, 17 years old, his face drawn and his gaze fixed on the altar.
The people accredited at the police gate arrived as early as 8.30am. Inside the Basilica there was room for just under 1,200 participants, for all the others two giant screens were set up outside, one on the right side of the churchyard, and the other facing Prato della Valle and Memmia island , the central area of the square.
It was Giulia Zecchin, 22 years old, Giulia Cecchettin's best friend, who read the first reading. The family chose a passage from the book of the prophet Isaiah . «A shoot will emerge from the trunk of Lesse, a shoot - says the incipit - will sprout from its roots. The spirit of the Lord will rest on him."
THE HOMILY – «Giulia's smile will be missed by her father Gino, her sister Elena and her brother Davide and her entire family; he will be missed by his friends but also by all of us because his face has become dear to us", the words of the bishop of Padua, Monsignor Claudio Cipolla, in the homily. «We cherish his desire to live, his plans, his passions. We welcome them into us like that sprout the prophet speaks of. Because together we wish to await the flowering of the world in which our eyes will finally be blessed", underlined the bishop.
« We would not have wanted to see what our eyes saw nor would we have wanted to listen to what we learned in the late morning of Saturday 18 November. For seven long days we waited, wished and hoped to see and hear different things. And instead now we are here, many of us, with our eyes, even those of our hearts, full of tears and with our ears needing to be opened to a new listening", said the bishop of Padua, stating that we now need " words and gestures of wisdom that help us not to be trapped by the immense tragedy that has occurred, to find even just a small glimmer of light ."
«The conclusion of this story – he continued – leaves us with bitterness, sadness, at times even anger but what we have experienced has also made clear the desire to transform pain into commitment to building a better society and world , which have at the center respect for the person (whether woman or man) and the protection of everyone's fundamental rights , especially that of the free and responsible definition of one's life plan. This commitment is essential not only to guarantee quality of life for the individual but also to create those social contexts and networks in which people are valued as individuals capable of making an original and creative contribution ."
PRAYER FOR TURETTA – On the day of sorrow the bishop of Padua also addresses a thought to Filippo Turetta, a self-confessed criminal : «We ask for peace of heart also for Filippo and his family», he said. « Our heart seeks tenderness, understanding, affection, love. Peace of heart is peace with oneself, with one's body, with one's psyche, with one's feelings, especially those that concern the meaning of the actions we perform and the meaning of life."
«Teach us, Lord, peace between genders, between male and female, between man and woman. We want to learn love and live in mutual respect, indeed seeking the good of others in the gift of ourselves. We can no longer allow acts of oppression and abuse ; this is why we need to compete to be able to transform the culture that makes them possible", is the bishop's appeal resounding in the basilica of Santa Giustina. Then he turned to young people: «Perhaps you young people can dare more than in the past: you have universities and studies at your disposal, you have the possibility of meetings and comparisons at an international level, you have more opportunities and well-being than 50 years ago. In freedom you can love better and more : this is your vocation and this can and must become your happiness!".
THE FATHER'S INTERVENTION – «May Giulia's memory inspire us to work together against violence, may her death be the push for change», is the hope of Gino Cecchettin, his voice breaking with emotion: « My daughter Giulia was just as you knew her, an extraordinary young woman, cheerful and lively, never satisfied with learning. He embraced the responsibility of managing the family after the untimely loss of his beloved mother ."
«Femicide – is the reflection – is often the result of a culture that devalues the lives of women , victims of those who should have loved them; instead they were harassed, forced into long periods of abuse, until they lost their freedom, before also losing their lives. How can all this happen. How could this have happened to Giulia?». And again: «There are many responsibilities - he added - but the educational one involves everyone. I turn to men first: we must first demonstrate that we are agents of change, against gender violence ."
«Dear Giulia – the conclusion – it's time to let you go, say goodbye to your mother. We will learn to dance in the rain . Thank you for these 22 years. I don't know how to pray, but I know how to hope. I want to hope together with you and your mother, and with all of you present here, that all this rain of pain will fertilize the soil of our lives, and one day it will germinate, and produce its fruit of love, forgiveness, and peace. Goodbye Giulia, my love ."
Elena Cecchettin also wanted to greet her sister: «I look at the sky and I see you among the stars, having half an ice cream with your mother. Sooner or later we will see each other again, I promise, but until then I know that you will be with me, because you are my guardian angel , because after all you always have been", his words.
The white coffin then came out amidst the applause of the over 8 thousand present who crowded the churchyard and Prato dalla Valle, and amidst thunderous ringing of bells and screams. To make noise and never silence Giulia Cecchettin's broken life, as the family has always asked.
(Unioneonline/ss-D)