AN EYE TO THE HOPES OF AN EPIC REALLY NEW

Paolo Graldi

Director of "Il Mattino"

It is undeniable that there has been a lot of talk about the Jubilee, both in the references which the Pope dedicates to it constantly, and on the political plane, for the great works organized for the Jubilee event, and often with polemics: emblematic is the conflict some months back between Di Pietro, minister of Public Works and the framework of government and the administration of Rome. Nevertheless, that which to my mind is still lacking is a global vision of the occasion: not only in its spiritual horizon, but also in the logistical and organizational. On the other hand, if the Jubilee was already completely present in public opinion what role would we have in so far as distributors of information?

In this sense the relationship between the Jubilee and the mass media cannot but have a large span: as never before this case demands the decisive role of the completeness of information. The millennium which is about to begin bears all the unknowns, the unresolved knots, but also the hopes of a truly new era: and this gives the Jubilee its eminently spiritual character. But woe to those who underestimate the organizational implications in terms of the ability of Rome and other places, Naples included, to host the event. A flow of millions of pilgrims will need to be opportunely organized, predisposed. One cannot trust the Italian virtue (in reality, a bad habit) of improvisation. I see that the Church is, with the "Great Citizens Mission" of Rome, is moved through time to the diffusion of the values tied to the Jubilee. But not yet so are the institutions by which the events of the Holy Year must be made possible. There is therefore an institutional side at a central level, like some local organizational bodies, which is hugely pressed so that it falls in line with the significance of the event: in terms of infrastructures, transport, lodging networks. Even this is a duty which belongs not a little to the media.

The constant attention which "Il Mattino" dedicates to the pontifical magisterium cannot also not include focus on the Jubilee: I would say, in fact, that it is one of the guiding themes, and that thanks to the solicitation of the magazine "Tertium Millennium," of which we have worked on the contents for the third number. In the same way we are keeping track of the government's initiatives for the Jubilee. I would say, in fact, that rather than a "prospective story", the Jubilee is for "Il Mattino" already a theme. And there is no doubt that the debate on its implications, in areas which are not solely Catholic, is a stimulus for us to return to.