Memory of Card. Casoria
by Anna Villani
Ten years have passed since the death of Cardinal Giuseppe Casoria, who left such strong seeds of good in the Basilica of San Giuseppe al Trionfale, of which he was the titular, that he is still remembered with emotion. The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, presided over the twelve o'clock Eucharistic celebration last Sunday 13 February and, with him, concelebrating on the altar: the bishop of Acerra (the diocese where Cardinal Casoria was born), Msgr. . Salvatore Giovanni Rinaldi and the other bishop (newly ordained on 6 February) Msgr. Marcello Bartolucci, secretary of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. The card. Bertone, who reported that he «welcomed with great joy the invitation to preside over the celebration on the occasion of the commemoration», thanked «heartily the parish priest and the missionary nuns of Saint Anthony Mary Claret, who desired my presence in among you."
Three points were touched upon by the Vatican cardinal's reflection during the homily: the relationship between law and freedom, the commandment of love, the fulfillment of freedom, the teaching of the card. Casoria as a witness of freedom at the service of good. «The typical way of thinking of our times, characterized by an accentuated subjectivism, leads us to believe that law and freedom are opposed – explained the Vatican Secretary of State -. But we ask ourselves: is there a real contrast between the moral law, which God proposes to man as a path to fulfillment and salvation, and freedom? At a superficial glance there would appear to be a hiatus, a separation between the two. A deeper reflection, however, allows us to understand that freedom is the faculty that allows us to adhere to goodness and achieve it. He who places good and evil on the same level is not truly free, but he who proposes to choose between good and better." And again: «Each of us is free to choose whether to observe the commandments or do without them. Jesus reminds us: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them completely (Mt 5,17:XNUMX)”. In what sense did Jesus give full fulfillment? – He questioned himself and questioned Cardinal Bertone – In the sense that he synthesized all the precepts and commandments of the Old Testament into just one, that of love for God and for brothers». «The divine law therefore does not oppress human freedom – he added – but directs it towards the dimension of love. The love required of us by God is the only law capable of "freeing our freedom" from the bonds of interest, selfishness and the inclination to evil." In support of his thoughts, silently listened to by the audience at the Trionfale, the Pontiff's trusted advisor completed: «Saint Augustine understood this moral truth very well and expressed it with the famous phrase: “Love and do what you want". In fact, those who are guided by love for God and for their brothers never find themselves in the embarrassment of breaking the law. The law is necessary to mature, but the wicked see it as an obstacle, the righteous as an aid to freedom."
The teaching of Cardinal Casoria
«Let us see – began the Papal Secretary of State – how a witness to the faith placed his freedom at the service of the Church. At first glance, his biographical profile appears to be that of the typical "man of the curia"... And despite always working within the Roman Curia, Cardinal Casoria managed to break out into the wider horizons of the Church and the world. He never became a bureaucrat. Indeed, he kept the typical traits of his land of origin unchanged over time: friendliness, sense of humor, immediacy, openness to others." "I commend myself to the Most Holy Madonna - wrote Cardinal Casoria in his spiritual testament, as Cardinal Bertone wanted to remember - to help me complete my journey on earth and lovingly present me to Her only Son Jesus Christ".
A commemoration in which the parish community of the Giuseppina basilica participated, with the Claretian nuns, relatives of the late cardinal, friends and religious. In the words of Don Mario Carrera, director of the Pious Union of the Transit of San Giuseppe, the memory of this Sunday and that of the cardinal, who died in Rome on 8 February 2001: “The card. Casoria not only bore the name of Giuseppe but he was very fond of our Basilica and there was no shortage of important opportunities to express his affection to his patron saint, patron of the universal Church and to the faithful of this Triumphal neighborhood".