«Violence, in all its forms, is a language that we categorically reject. It never inspires the gestures and words of those who profess to believe in the God of peace and meekness, therefore it cannot find space in civil society unless we seek the loss of what makes us human.” This is what is stated in a note from the Calabrian Episcopal Conference which expresses «the strongest condemnation for the act of vandalism perpetrated against the young parish priest of Varapodio, Don Giovanni Rigolialready the victim of an attack in January, whose car was the subject of an arson attack.”
«This ignoble gesture – add the Calabrian prelates – is a direct attack on all the citizens of our precious region, on all those who daily believe and fight in an honest and respectful way in favor of the dignity of others, contributing to the development of a Calabria that does not it can and must not be represented by some criminals blinded by a mafia mentality: this way of acting and thinking does not belong to the ethics and humanity of the Calabrians!”. The bishops express «solidarity and support for the bishop of Oppido – Palmi, Monsignor Giuseppe Alberti, to Don Giovanni Rigoli, and through them to the entire community of Varapodio”. At the same time, they invite “all the faithful and people of good will to unite in prayer for the Parish Priest and for the Parish of San Nicola and Santo Stefano, so that they can overcome this moment with strength, hope and renewed apostolic commitment”.
The CEC reiterates, in the note, «its willingness to work tirelessly for the promotion of peace, legality, dialogue and brotherhood among all the men and women of our time, so that similar acts no longer find fertile ground in our beloved Calabria” and “they trust in the work of the Judiciary and the Police, so that the authors of the vile gesture are quickly identified and can answer for their actions in court in the hope that the various educational institutions will continue to ally themselves to form free generations from hatred and revenge.”