Mourning the Pope; Celebrating the Liberation from Fascism

A minor flashpoint may be forming in Italy. The government has of course announced days of mourning for Pope Francis (Papa Francesco). The papacy remains a central feature of Italian society, and the death of a pope is a really big deal in Italy. However, we are also approaching the Italian national holiday known as the Festa della Liberazione, which celebrates the final liberation of Italy from "nazifascism" - an event celebrated every year on April 25. Indeed, in Italy, "25 aprile" is used in much the same way as "the 4th of July" is used in the US, as an important yearly holiday date.

Of course, 25 aprile has traditionally been a day for celebrations on the left. Ironically, right wing blowhard Matteo Salvini this year announced to the right wing (Northern) League conference that they should not cede ownership of 25 aprile to "the leftists."

In any case, the Italian head of public safety cautioned today that Festa della Liberazione should be celebrated "soberly" and with respect to the declaration of national mourning. Opposition parties replied that 25 aprile was not some frat party, but was a somber remembrance of the ravages of fascist terror that the Italian right has been opposing for years, and especially this government. They plan to go ahead with the scheduled activities (marches, other events, etc).

The kicker? If Trump is indeed going to attend Pope Francis's funeral on Saturday morning, he will likely be arriving in Italy on Friday, 25 aprile. So...



Link on the growing controversy