The celebrations in honor of Saint Saturninus, patron saint of Cagliari, concluded with the celebration of First Vespers in the Basilica of San Saturnino yesterday and the solemn Holy Mass today, Thursday, October 30.
During Vespers, Archbishop Giuseppe Baturi delivered his traditional message to the city, coinciding this year with the Diocesan Jubilee of Governors and Administrators. "Wisdom is worth more than power and fleeting success," the archbishop stated. "The Church offers you, above all, the simplicity and strength of prayer." Archbishop Baturi also announced a public meeting on these topics in January 2026.
Addressing representatives of civil and military institutions, the Bishop of Cagliari emphasized the value of politics as a vocation and a high form of charity, inviting them to rediscover its dimension of service: "Those who love Jesus are called to show the world another way of governing, one not defined by the logic of domination but by the gratuitous novelty of service."
In his speech, he also emphasized the need for responsible and supportive participation, promoting community networks and so-called intermediate bodies, "without which there can be no path of care and solidarity." As a model of coherence and dedication to the common good, the archbishop pointed to the figure of St. Thomas More, patron saint of government, expressing the hope that "Christians engaged in public life may be witnesses of truth and servants of the good of all."
During the Mass, Monsignor Baturi presented the young martyr as a witness of hope, in keeping with the theme of the diocesan Holy Year: "The hope that does not disappoint."
"Our young martyr," he said, "renounced earthly life rather than betray the Lord and attain the hope of eternal life." In his address, he urged the faithful not to give in to the illusions of fleeting happiness, but to root their lives in a greater love: "Let us not deceive our hearts with pleasure, wealth, or power. Happiness comes only in a love that transcends the earthly dimension. Our hope is the risen Jesus, who gives life meaning and a horizon of eternal value."
(Unioneonline)
