Another valuable contribution for know thoroughly charismaof Blessed Francesco Mottola, in the jubilee year dedicated to him by the diocese of Mileto-Nicotera-Tropea. The latest literary effort dedicated to the saint priest comes from monsignor Filippo Ramondino and from don Rocco Suppaauthors of the interesting volume “Francesco Mottola. Theology of virtues and prayer”. The book, published by “Adhoc”, was presented in Catanzaroduring a meeting held in Regional Seminar “St. Pius. The works were introduced by Gabriele Vallonewho illustrated to those present the review of publications dedicated to “priest of the smile“, Moreover founder of the families of Oblates and Oblates of the Sacred Heart. Immediately afterwards, a dialogue with the authors the seminarian took care of it Raffaele Ferrazzo. Don Mottola was beatified by Pope Francis on 10 October 2021after a life dedicated to the the poor and the underprivilegedwhich he defined as “nuju du mundu”. The volume by Don Ramondino and Don Suppa is divided in two parts. From the first emerges a man involved in society because definitely inspired by evangelical values: “Pastoral care is the gospel lived in space and time”. After all, you can’t understand Don Mottola if he doesn’t leave from the context in which he lived: Tropea and the Church of its time. In the second part, the figure of a priest of action appears clear, imbued with concreteness, because man of contemplationimmersed in prayer. A priest who, on the basis of all the mystical traditionmakes the anthropology of prayer the true fulfillment of man. Among the contributions given at the meeting, that of older brother of the Oblate priests of the Sacred Heart, Don Francesco Sicariwho highlighted i significant traits offered by Don Mottola to today’s believers and future Calabrian priests. Specifically, «the holiness as a daily journeya life in Christ without half measures, the love for Calabria and the mission to spread the sweet scent of Jesus”. The conclusions were drawn from professor of the “San Pio X” Theological Institute, Don Pasquale Brizzi. The scholar has, on this occasion, placed the emphasis on the man and priest from Tropea «interested in fate of the world and of history and for this reason included in the cultural flourishing of first half of the 19th century». A blessed that the same wanted to compare with the famous ecclesiastical characters of “The Betrothed” by Alessandro Manzoni. «The scared one Don Abbondio – he underlined – it is the antithesis of brave Mottolathe self-giving of Brother Christopher it’s the same as Mottola, priest of and for the people and, finally, the zeal of Cardinal Borromeo which also distinguished Francesco Mottola in the decision of one life given to the glory of God and for the good of his people, the Church and the Calabrian Church.”
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Tropea, the new edition of “Don Francesco Mottola” concluded
