I express my profound gratitude to Don Augusto Porso for the significant gesture of donating the Cedar of Santa Maria del Cedro to Pope Francis. This symbolic act represents not only a tribute to the Holiness of the Pontiff, but also a recognition of the cultural and spiritual value of our territory, and a confirmation of the effectiveness of the work carried out by the Calabria Cedar Consortium, which has dedicated itself for over twenty years to the promotion, protection and valorisation of this precious fruit, affirming its universality and uniqueness in every context.
I would like to take this opportunity to remember and honor the work of Don Francesco Gatto, precursor of the cedar culture and inspirational figure for the promotion of this fruit. Don Gatto, former parish priest of our town and president of the first Cedar cooperative, dedicated his life to making known the importance of Cedar not only as an agricultural product, but also as a symbol of interreligious and intercultural dialogue and comparison.
Special thanks also go to the late Prof. Franco Galiano, whose meritorious work contributed significantly to the diffusion of the Cedar culture at an international level. His dedication and commitment remain a source of inspiration to us all.
On behalf of the Calabria Cedar Consortium and the entire Calabrian cedar production chain, I express the most sincere gratitude for this gesture which has brought our Cedar to the heart of Christianity. This fruit is not just an agricultural product, but a symbol of peace, reconciliation with God and tradition, values that Pope Francis was able to appreciate.
With this gesture, our community had the honor of representing Calabria and its rich cultural tradition in a prestigious context. The hope is that the Cedro of Santa Maria del Cedro continues to be a symbol of identity, union and respect between the different communities and cultures of the world.
This is what he writes Angelo Adduci President of the Calabria Cedar Consortium.
