In this period of collective fear and confinement that stresses everyone, acts of solidarity and bravery are multiplying. Father Giuseppe Bardelli’s is both grandiose and tragic. A priest in Lombardy, in the municipality of Casnigo, the region of Italy most affected by the coronavirus and no longer counts his deaths, he did not escape the contagion.
He was 72 years old and had a severe form of this lung disease. Before losing consciousness and rather than unnecessarily prolonging his life, he preferred to sacrifice himself by giving up his artificial respirator and giving it to a younger patient and thus likely to survive.
A gift that has moved throughout Italy, a country where the Catholic religion is still very much present and has more than ever become a refuge and support.
On Monday, Italy recorded the gruesome 601 new deaths in 24 hours. A balance that remains dramatic but slightly behind. Which makes some say that “Italy sees the end of the tunnel”.
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