There are boundaries that, out of respect and culture, should not be crossed. Invisible but clear boundaries, drawn by the common sense and sensitivity of a people who find deep roots in faith, tradition and the sacred. Yet, sometimes, the desire to amaze, provoke or simply "make people laugh" leads to questionable choices.
This is the case of the controversy that broke out yesterday in Cagliari during the Carnival parade, where a group of friends decided to dress up as Sant'Efisio, with the Confraternity and Alter Nos in tow . A disguise that was not greeted with hilarity, but with indignation and disdain by the majority of the people of Cagliari, who saw in this choice a serious lack of respect for the cult of the saint so loved and venerated throughout the island.
Sardinia has a deep-rooted and intense tradition of faith, and Sant'Efisio is not just a religious symbol, but a true emblem of identity. Every year, the procession on May 1st is not just a religious event, but an act of collective devotion, a promise kept over the centuries to pay homage to the saint who, according to tradition, saved Cagliari from the plague. "Reducing this sacred figure to a simple Carnival mask has hurt many, believers and non-believers, who have condemned the episode as an unacceptable lack of values," says Riccardo Rocca, Third Guardian three times, the last in 2023.
There are also those who have pointed out that, in the past, a similar group would have been driven away. Today, however, the boundary between irony and irreverence seems to be increasingly thinning, with the risk of debasing what, for many, represents a pillar of their identity.
Sardinian grandmothers had a clear saying: «Brulla cun is maccus e lassa stai is santus». Joke with the madmen, but leave the saints alone. A lesson perhaps forgotten today.
