Manfredonia and Montesano Salentino. The North and South of Puglia, united by the same inexplicable pain, that of the death of the two carabinieri Francesco Pastore, 25 years old, and Francesco Ferraro, 27, who were killed in an accident in Campagna in the Salerno area. The funerals take place almost simultaneously in their respective cities of origin in Puglia.
The bishop: «Christ stopped at Eboli, on the road where the accident occurred»
«We lost one of us. One of our brothers.” A friend said this while he was waiting in the cathedral square in Manfredonia for the coffin of Francesco Pastore, arrived escorted by two wings of carabinieri and welcomed inside the cathedral of Manfredonia by long applause. Numerous authorities were present in the church, including the general commander of the Carabinieri, Teo Luzi. In the front row Francesco’s family, with his father Matteo, also a carabiniere serving in San Giovanni Rotondo. But, above all, standing in the church of Manfredonia there are many of Francesco’s colleagues, who shared the service with Francesco at the Campagna station. Many have tears in their eyes from the pain.
«Their death is murder. Their death is a crime. Because using drugs means arming yourself,” he said Father Franco Moscone the bishop of Manfredonia in the homily at Pastore’s funeral. «Christ – continued the prelate – stopped at Eboli. This isn’t just the title of a book or movie. It is true Christ stopped at Eboli, on the state road where the road accident occurred and he stopped in the bodies of the two Francises. And he stopped in Manfredonia, in our cities left stunned, stunned by what happened. Christ stopped in the Carabinieri and in the souls of all of them due to the umpteenth loss of their men in the service of the community and the State”.
“I want to say to everyone – concluded Father Moscone – I want to say to the parents, to the friends, let us look for Francesco in our hearts who continues to speak to us with his smile, with his eyes”.
Ferraro’s coffin brought to his grandmother’s house
The funeral of the 27-year-old from Lecce is taking place in the church of Maria Santissima Immacolata. In the center of lower Salento, the entire city community rallied around the family of the accused. The exit of the coffin from the funeral home set up in the council chamber was greeted by long applause. The coffin, wrapped in the tricolour, was then carried on the shoulders by the carabinieri followed by his parents Paola and Antonio, his brothers Gigi, Michele and Alessandro, and his girlfriend Carmela, with their little dog in their arms. Before arriving at the mother church of the town in the province of Lecce, the funeral procession stopped in front of the house of Francesco’s grandmother, who greeted her missing grandson at the door of the house, sitting in her wheelchair. As a sign of mourning, all activities in the town stopped.
There were hundreds of people both outside and inside the church to welcome the coffin. Here, on a red velvet cushion, the hat of Francesco’s uniform was placed. Many civil and military authorities attended, including the commander of the Carabinieri, General Teo Luzi, who after paying honors to the coffin left for Manfredonia where Pastore’s funeral is being celebrated. Also present among the top brass of the force was Antonio De Vita, inter-regional Carabinieri commander `Ogaden´. “Francis is already in the house and heart of God”, he said in the homily Monsignor Vito Angiuli, bishop of the diocese of Ugento Santa Maria di Leuca. «We are heartbroken and in disbelief and even for me today it is difficult to talk about what happened, to give an answer to many questions», he added, remembering the deceased soldier from Salento as «the friend and brother that we would all like: generous in his service to his homeland, jovial and strong-willed, with a rare education.” Finally, the appeal addressed to young people: «Francis urges you to love life because it is beautiful and precious. Don’t waste it.”
