AN ORDINARY BISHOP IN THE STREET

Just “a little fellow priest”, as Giovanni Paolo II called him, who not only has become Bishop, but the man who conceived the idea of organising a pilgrimage which sees the participation of over 65,000 people, becoming one of the highest attended pilgramages in Italy. Monsignor Giancarlo Vecerrica, born in 1940, as a child, he burst with ideas, never giving up on his daring nature, always trying out other roads.

What do you remember about your childhood?
We were poor sharecroppers in the countryside, that meant that, half of the produce had to be given to the landowners who wer actually our uncles. We were four in all (a brother and sister and a baby sister), and in winter, I remember my parent’s huge bed, which looked like an open “square”, where we played together. There was no central-heating, and so this wasy a means not to get cold. Hard memories- like when the Germans came to arrest my father. I was 4 and together with my brothers we ran desparately after him. My father suffered from nerve-pain in the leg and couldn’t walk well. In the end, he was burle into a ditch and left there. Luckily for him, because the others were all shot dead.

When did you enter the seminary?
I went at the age of 10. It was a completely different life for someone who, like me, has always had a pleasant struggle against poverty; There were also the seminarians, sons of the well-to-do and so, for example, the afternoon-break was a special moment; we had to bring from home our snack and while I brought with me the fruit from our farmland– a bit of grapes and figs pace into a shoe-box, -the better-off brought with them bananas, an exotic and expensive fruit for that time. I haver never bought new things, only second-hand like socks, some cloches picked up …

When did the true calling come?
I was glad of my life in the seminar, I was able to study, play, get together with others. After the third year at high school , I went into a crisiss: a strong feeling had aroused in me for a girl, even though there had been no physical contact … Yet I experienced it as a betrayal, suffering; so much that in some photos of the time I was quite unrecognizable. And so I came to realise that serving the Lord was nicer.

What feelings do you have atout the day you were ordained priest?
The ordination came about in a complex moment because we had to prepare ourselves well, there was a cardinal. I still can recall with great emotion, the first time, I held mass in a country parish-church. They came to fetch me with a bike; we travelled for three kilometres along a dust-road. I got all the dust on my tunic too. Then came the procession and the sermon of the Rector.

You have told us how you became a priest, but how do you become Bishop?
A mobile-call came. It was on a Saturday afternoon, 21st December just before Christmas, I was out and about in Macerata with my students: ” Nunzio would like to speak to you urgently”. I went, and he took out a letter.

And what was on the letter?
I quote: “the Pope has signed for your appointment as bishop Saturday morning. Now you just sit there, I’ll give you a sheet (because you have to write in ink to the Pope-editor’s note) and answer ‘yes or no.’ I actually didn’t want to accept, but saying no to the Pope, is tough.

And what did you do then?
I took time taking advantage of the fact that Christmas was in between … It was roundabout 27 th. I called: ‘ the letter isn’t here yet! ” Then I hurried up and I accepted the new mission. ”

How did you meet don Giussani?
I was teaching religion at the High school for studies in the Classics and there were some of my students from Civitanova Marche who were always speaking about don Giussani and Jesus. We were having the first torrid student assemblies of ‘ 68, which were challenging the authoritarianism of the professors. These girls went around saying: “we say thatthe person who has the solution to our educational problems is Jesus. If you want to know what they are, come to our meetings “. I got angry with them: what does Jesus have to do with your claims?! “. But then I met don Giussani at Imola; I got back having changed my mind . He spoke of Jesus as a person of today who has everything to do with my life. And for me it was a discovery …

What has he left in you?
“The knowledge that God has everything to do with man, with the street; who was reincarnated in order to change the daily life of each one of us.”

What does it mean to belong to“ Cl “ (Catholic association) and why is the Association at times contested?
Don Giussani said that it was not to be an association, neither a movement. It is the way to be a Christian today. He didn’t want to start a movement, then the story led him to create it out of necessity. He was extremely obedient to the Pope and bishops; he rather would suffer at the cost of always obeying. Lo behold, even here the criticism began: he was accused of integralism. Maybe someone had misunderstood his teachings and took the Gospel as the basis to be used in either political or economic practices; This gave a helping hand to the criticisms.

How did the idea of pilgrimage come about?
Even the males were not believers, on the basis of the impact that my theology lessons had on the young, they were in a complete mess. Some who were exempted because they came from secular families then asked me to stay. An agnostic teacher in philosophy asked to attend the lessons. All went smooth, but at the end of the school year he inevitably destroyed everything, the separation swept away encounters, destroyed dialogue and relationships. I thought: I had better find a a link that would join school year, holidays and taking up school again in the new year.

And then?
I built up ‘work-fields’, in the light of don Miliani’s teachings: Deans, teachers and pupils went to lend a hand to the farmers. An experience that ended when I thought up of a new ida: the pilgrimage. In ‘ 78, I organised the first edition, but it was tragic: 300 students departed at midnight under torrential rain. We took the wrong road … I thought, ‘ they’d never get back again “. In October, Giovanni Paolo II was elected, and in September ‘ 79 , he came to Loreto. I invited everyone to go on pilgrimage back to Loreto again: and at the end I wanted to embrace the Pope. “Holy Father, two thousand young …”. And he: “I know, I know: you must look after them for me one by one.”

How was your relationship with the Popes?
I thank God I’ve always Been brought up on having a filial relationship with the Pope. With Giovanni Paolo II , I shared a friendship. With Benedict XVI, the same thing, and so with Pope Francesco too, who on the Wednesday, before the pilgrimage, lights the torch of peace, which the pilgrims hold walking to Macerata.

How do you see the Church today?
It’s a new spring. The Church experiences the human and dramatic events in history. With Pope Francesco, it has returned to be the benchmark for all, believers and non-believers.

Howabout politics?
Bad. A continual illusion given to the people, a promise of rebirth when the actual logic behind is only to protect special interests of certain powers dominating all. Whoever has power, does not have to carry out the projects and subsidise them, but should give support to the projects of others. We still dominate the power-circles set up by people with money.

Have you ever done a mistake as Bishop?
Many. For example, As soon as I had arrived. I began organising everything without involving the priests and the faithful. Following the first minor failures, I realized that the journey hd to be done together, step by step. And now I really feel one of the people.

Translation provided by Marina Stronati