The article by Prof. Sacco F. and St. Pastina F., published on the Blog of the Accademia Alfonsiana.
On 17 July 2024, Pope Francis published a letter on the role of literature in education. The Pope calls for a greater use of literature in priestly formation and, more generally, in the spiritual growth of Christians. He emphasises the active role of the reader in the interpretation of literary texts, counteracting the intellectual impoverishment caused by excessive consumption of superficial media. According to the Pope, literature promotes empathy, spiritual discernment and a deeper understanding of the human condition, fostering an authentic dialogue with culture and faith. More specifically, he points to literature as a tool to ‘touch the hearts’ of others and as a ‘gymnasium of discernment’, using examples from classical and modern authors. The Pontiff thus declares the importance of literature for an effective and incarnated proclamation of the Gospel.
As I was reading the Pope’s letter, Giacomo Leopardi’s “Dialogo della Natura e dell’Islandese”[1] came to mind. I wondered, if Leopardi wrote it today, how would it sound? I challenged the 5th-year Theology students of PFTIM Sez. San Luigi – Naples. One of them, Francesco Pastina, took it up. The text he produced seems interesting, and I think it is worth sharing. He started with a brief description of Leopardi and the work in question; he then made a reinterpretation set in the contemporary context. Unlike the original, in which Nature is stepmotherly and insensitive, here it takes on the role of accuser against a modern man, who is responsible for environmental catastrophes, loss of biodiversity and climate change. This choice is not intended to alter Leopardi’s thought but to adapt its themes to the ecological urgencies of our time, following a path that integrates scientific data, philosophy, magisterium and environmental rights.
Continue reading on the Accademia Alfonsiana website.
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[1] Giacomo Leopardi (1798-1837) is considered one of the greatest Italian poets and thinkers. His principal works include the “Operette morali” (1824-1832), a collection of dialogues and philosophical prose exploring themes of human existence such as suffering, the desire for happiness and the indifference of Nature towards human beings. Indeed, among the best-known pieces is the “Dialogue of Nature and an Icelander”. In this work, Nature is represented as an impersonal and indifferent figure, far from the Romantic conception that idealised her as good and harmonious. In the dialogue, an Icelandic traveller confronts Nature, accusing it of being cruel, stepmotherly and responsible for man’s suffering. Nature responds with total indifference: the world, he says, was not created for man but follows its autonomous laws.
