people-from-naples

"Sal Da Vinci's Naples today, like Mario Merola's Naples yesterday, represents a stereotype that has little to do with Neapolitan culture. It is a heart-wrenching, emphatic, consolatory attitude: love forever, I promise you before God... It seems to me to be a step backwards not only compared to Quanno chiove, but also compared to Nel blu dipinto di blu. Modugno was from Puglia, even though he was considered Sicilian, but he was still an artist from the South; and the song with which he won Sanremo in 1958 was very popular and very modern. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same about Sal Da Vinci."

"*Dobbiamo contestualizzare il mio processo, quel '92, l'abbattimento di quel sistema di Stato, di governo. Bisogna tenere conto delle invidie nella mia amministrazione, delle aspirazioni di carriera, del senso di rivalsa nei miei confronti. Il colpo di genio che hanno avuto quelli che mi hanno inquisito è stato tenermi 31 mesi e 7 giorni in regime di carcere preventivo, limitando le mie possibilità di difesa e determinando nell'opinione pubblica la convinzione che, se ero stato incarcerato, qualcosa dovevo avere pur fatto. Tanti imputati di concorso esterno aspettano liberi il processo. Io invece dovevo stare dentro, unico detenuto come Rudolf Hess a Spandau, a oltre 60 anni senza nemmeno un water decente perché in cella c'era il bagno alla turca. E non mi sono mai lamentato, e non ho mai chiesto niente, non mi facevo nemmeno portare cibo da casa. Perché non sono state prese in considerazione le testimonianze di 142 uomini delle istituzioni? Cinque capi della Polizia, direttori del Sisde, prefetti, questori, generali della Guardia di Finanza. E poi i tanti miei colleghi che sono venuti a testimoniare per me, quelli che lavoravano con me giorno e notte. Erano testimoni della verità dei fatti e li hanno disprezzati."

"È vero o no che Contrada tradì lo Stato per cui lavorava, mettendosi al servizio di Cosa Nostra che era pagato per combattere? La risposta è sì. E non – come vaneggia il solito amico di tutte le canaglie Giuliano Ferrara – per un processo fondato su "pentitismo e intercettazioni a strascico". Ma per i fatti spaventosi raccontati da una miriade di autorevolissimi testimoni. A cominciare dai colleghi di Falcone e Borsellino, che raccontano la diffidenza nutrita dai giudici – come pure da Boris Giuliano – nei confronti di "'u Dutturi": i magistrati Del Ponte, Caponnetto, Almerighi, Vito D'Ambrosio, Ayala. [...] Tutti a ripetere davanti ai giudici di Palermo che Contrada passava informazioni a Cosa Nostra, incontrando anche personalmente alcuni boss, tipo Saro Riccobono e Calogero Musso. Le sentenze hanno accertato che: Contrada concesse la patente ai boss Stefano Bontate e Giuseppe Greco; agevolò la latitanza di Totò Riina e la fuga di Salvatore Inzerillo e John Gambino; intrattenne rapporti privilegiati con Michele e Salvatore Greco; spifferava segreti d'indagine ai mafiosi in cambio di favori e regali (come i 10 milioni di lire accantonati dal bilancio di Cosa Nostra a Natale del 1981 per acquistare un'auto a un'amichetta del superpoliziotto); e portò al suo processo falsi testimoni a sua difesa. [...] E nulla di tutto questo è messo in dubbio dalla sentenza di Strasburgo. Chi piagnucola per l'"uomo innocente" e il "meccanismo infernale" si legga le carte e poi, se ci riesce, si vergogni."

"I believe that love changes everything around you, love for anything, your job, any dream. Never break it, never."

"My career has been marked by hard work, without which I would not be here today. I've had more failures than successes, but every time I got back up. It's been an incredible journey, made up of dreams that sometimes shattered and sometimes came halfway to fruition. I wrote melodies and songs that then, thanks to my collaborators, became real recording projects, with arrangements and productions that gave rise to important numbers and a solid career."

"Sal Da Vinci sings things I don't like, but I like him and I like his songs that I don't listen to."

"Naples is a family. It has given me more than I have given it. I stayed there because I didn't want to break the visceral bond that has developed over the years. I was born artistically in my city, and the public has always supported me with great affection and closeness. Naples is a city suspended between the sacred and the profane, where colours mix with pain, where tomorrow is so unpredictable, where every time Napoli wins, it feels like redemption for the people."

"Interviewer: Is the arms race encouraged by some leaders in Europe justified, in your opinion? Cardinal Battaglia: I believe that peace is not built by arming people, but by disarming hearts. I understand the fears and geopolitical tensions, but we cannot get used to the idea that war is inevitable. Every euro spent on weapons is taken away from schools, healthcare and the poor. It is a choice of sides. True security does not come from force, but from justice, education and dialogue. As the Gospel says, those who take up the sword will perish by the sword. And we, as a Church, must be prophets of peace, even when it is inconvenient. Generally, following the example of a great prophet of peace, Pope Francis, every year I celebrate Holy Thursday Mass with the washing of the feet of people who have been wounded by life. This year, more than ever, I feel that the last, the poorest and most wounded by life is peace itself, and for this reason I wanted to wash the feet of men and women in my city who are actively committed to defending peace. So that their blessedness may not fail: blessed indeed are the messengers of peace, those who with silent gestures and measured words sow hope in everyday life. Those who build bridges, who resist without violence, choosing justice. And I told them something I am convinced of: when they are tired, the Lord himself will wash their feet! And in that water they will find the peace they have sown in the world."

"E voi, mercanti della morte, continuate a passare sotto quella croce come passarono un giorno i soldati, spartendovi le vesti del condannato. [...] Il Vangelo, invece, non tratta. | Il Vangelo non benedice le industrie della distruzione. | Il Vangelo non si abitua ai morti. | Il Vangelo non sopporta che il dolore diventi statistica e che i massacri si consumino dentro il commento stanco di un notiziario. | Il Vangelo mette un bambino al centro. | Sempre. | E quando un bambino è al centro, tutte le vostre ragioni crollano. | Crollano le dottrine militari, le alleanze opportunistiche, le giustificazioni geopolitiche, i linguaggi tecnici con cui nascondete la vergogna. [...] Io vi chiedo, allora, non solo di fermarvi. | Vi chiedo di convertirvi. | Sì, convertirvi. | Parola antica, parola scandalosa, parola necessaria. | Convertirsi significa smettere di pensare che tutto abbia un prezzo. | Significa riconoscere che la vita umana è sacra, o non sarà più umana."

"His comparative study of the various systems supplied him with a deeper knowledge of the Scholastics, particularly St. Thomas, and of the intimate connection between their doctrine and that of the Fathers. From that time until the end of his life, his only concern was the restoration of Christian philosophy, in which, not only by his writings, but by his lectures and conversation, he was of supreme assistance to Leo XIII."

"The Magi, the first pagans called to faith and our forerunners, show us the way that leads to the Redeemer and how we must reach him. They were enlightened by a star, understood that it was a heavenly call, and without delay hurried on their way to Jerusalem, leaded by the same star. So we must walk toward the heavenly Jerusalem: obeying the Lord who invites us to himself, and walking with our eyes fixed on Heaven, in the supernatural light of faith. We do not go to Jesus Christ with human light; we cannot go there by calculating material or political opportunities. The light that leads us to him rises in the sky, and from Heaven leads us to the eternal homeland. (pp. 55-56)"

"My soul gathers itself and adores you, O Word of God, for all these wonders sing your praises and glorify the Father through you. You are the ideal heaven of the soul, you are the perennial source of living water that quenches its thirst, you are the flower that sprouted from the rod of the root of Jesse. You are the sun that illuminates our life, and the light that dispels its darkness, You are the Lamb sacrificed for the salvation of all, You are the new Adam, who forms the generation of the righteous, reforms man as God desires, and leads him to eternal bliss. You are my Redeemer, and how could I render your work in me vain? (p. 1621)"

"[Don Dolindo] is a saint. The whole of Paradise [is in his soul]. [...] Why do you come here, you have Don Dolindo in Naples?, Go to him. He is a saint."

"Quattro Vangeli commentati dal sac. Dolindo Ruotolo, Casa Mariana Editrice, Napoli, 2005, 4 volumes."

"The ways of divine Love cannot be travelled without Mary; the contrary is absurd, for without her effective mediation there is no vigour of faith to nourish and sustain it. The soul does not marry God without Mary, and does not have the purest wine of love without her. (p. 1656)"

"The night, which seemed to have disappeared for a moment, returned with its cloak of shadows. The firmament shone, but the stars did not look like stars; they were like placid eyes of peace gazing ecstatically at the earth. They passed glistening over the blessed cave as if in a dance of love; it was as if they recognised from afar the powerful voice that created them, and sang a hymn of order to the eternal Incarnate wisdom that had harmonised them. (p. 1014)"

"True temporal and eternal happiness lies in the possession of God. (p. 127)"

"O eternal light, I come to You, and in Your words I see truths that transcend all others; I see them, I accept them, I adore them, I absorb them into my life, I make them my norm, my character, the reason and guide for all my actions, the pasture of my mind, the flame of my heart, bliss in exile, happiness revealed in the eternal homeland. (p. 1606)"

"The bread of the body, without that of the soul, reduces man to a beast, and concerns him only with the life that passes, while he wanders the world to attain immortal life. It is an immense sorrow to see that men speak only of material affairs, to see them anxious for gain, and completely or almost completely forgetful of the soul! (p. 1068)"

"The sky with all its creation is like a telescope that allows us to glimpse God: it does not magnify Him, it cannot magnify Him to our eyes, because He is infinite, but it can give us a glimpse of His greatness, it can allow us to contemplate a ray of His power, a glimmer of His wisdom, a warm reflection of the infinite flame of His love. (p. 1615)"

"The Church is a solid wall that no bomb has been able to bring down, because the words of Jesus have formed his children into a phalanx of heroes. (p. 1318)"

"He was already transfigured, but he was transfigured even more... His face was mysterious, very sweet, thoughtful, profound... it was like the face of God: power, wisdom and love. He had the confidence of one who can do anything, the brightness of one who knows everything and does everything with wisdom, and the gentleness of one who gives himself out of pure love. The angels almost held their breath, and the heavens almost stopped their harmony. He took the bread, raised his eyes to heaven, “gave thanks”, that is, he prayed fervently and thanked the Father for the great gift he was giving to [[mankind]; he broke the bread and distributed it to his apostles, and exclaimed calmly with a voice of placid love, before which the laws of creation stopped, adoring and obeying, almost disappearing from his presence: ' This is my body, which is given for you; do this in memory of me'. (p. 1500)"

"Jesus sat at the centre of the table, looking transcendent, divine. His beautiful face was suffused with majesty, love, goodness, peace and a gentle, profound sadness, which was like the shadow of that marvellous picture and made it even more beautiful. His divinity, hidden by his most holy humanity, emerged from those mysteriously sculpted and beautiful features; his eyes shone and reflected the sky, his cheeks were white and ruddy, and his blond beard gave them a golden hue in the splendour of his goodness. His whole Heart, all his love, emerged from that face, and in his composed modesty there was something maternal, immensely maternal. He was the Bridegroom of the Song of Songs who was giving himself at that moment; he opened the door of his charity and exuded the fragrance of love; he embraced the souls of all the centuries; he embraced his Church and gave her his life. (p. 1498)"

"Jesus was alone and praying. What a sight! His soul prayed, and in praying he was like a flame rising from a holocaust, for his body was wholly a sacrifice of love. He prayed and was enveloped in the divine splendour of the divine Person of the Word, almost like a torch in the midday rays. He shone with divine light, and drew his body close to him as if it were a cloud of thymian drawn up by the flame. His centre of gravity was no longer the earth but the eternal splendour of the Word, and he tended upwards, made light as a feather. (p. 1768)"

"Contemplation, whereby the soul is lifted up into divine magnificence, is exultation of the spirit in divine light, joy in tasting the fruits of Redemption, and an outpouring of love for God for His infinite beauty and goodness. The soul grows in the ways of love when it humbles itself and recognises its own lowliness; it is then that God lowers himself to it and takes pleasure in it, working wonders of grace. To look at God and be looked at by Him, this is the synthesis of the greatest elevations of love: Respixit. Faith looks at Him, hope and charity look at Him, and He turns to us, enlightening us, elevating us and embracing us; the troubled heart, exiled and groaning in this valley of tears, looks at Him, and He pours out His mercy. (pp. 982-983)"

"The ecstatic angels admired the work of the Word of God and sang praises of love; they saw far away, on those seas of splendour, what He would be when He became incarnate, they saw in the prophetic light His human nature, shining with the divine nature in the unity of the very Person of the Word, through whom everything was made at that moment, and they felt invited to worship. (p. 1620)"

"And even if I ascend into the sidereal sky, what is this before You, my God? And even if my mind reaches high and, like a cherub with outstretched wings, stretches towards the boundaries of the sky, what has it seen of creation, and what has it been able to intuit about You, my God? If I were to open my arms to the east and west, as Michelangelo's image in the Sistine Chapel has opened and stretched out, and if I were to carry on the tips of my fingers, so to speak, the power of the mind that sees and the love that shapes, as that image seems to carry it, what would I have seen of You, my God, and of Your works? (p. 1616)"

"Never has there been so much talk of peace as today, and never has the world been such a theatre of war as today. If glory is not given to God, how can there be peace? (p. 1019)"

"Jesus Christ proclaims himself the conqueror of love through his bloody sacrifice and places love, heroic sacrifice and charity at the foundation of the Christian character. He came to bring “fire” to earth, not that of destruction but that of charity, and he desires only that it be kindled; he came to bring it by submitting himself to complete sacrifice and to the pains that were to flood him like a baptism, and his love makes him desire them with the most vivid anxiety, which keeps him in anguish until he has suffered them all. He leaves this love and sacrifice as a beautiful legacy to his followers, for the conversion of the world will mean that they will suffer persecution and pain even from their dearest family members. (p. 1328)"

"The Christian life is not and cannot be entertainment, because its goal is not to pass more or less joyfully the time that has been assigned to us by God, but to strive for the conquest of the eternal treasure, of God, infinite greatness and infinite beauty. (p. 318)"

"That little light brings out the beauty of the altar and speaks of the ineffable love that silently burns in the holy Ciborium; it expresses in a delicate symbol the infinite reality of the eternal Word, the light of the Father, and the reality of the Incarnate Word, the victim who perpetually burns and consumes himself. It gathers our soul in faith, which is knowledge of God, and enkindles it with tender love; it is not a simple light, but a complex of hearts enkindled before the love that gives itself. Every vibration of that light expresses the vibration of a soul, every effusion of oil towards the flame expresses the return of life towards God, enkindled with love and consumed with charity; every quiet crackle of the placid light expresses the trepidation of inner charity. The lamp, placed by the Church, is not mute, but is the representation of the Church, generated by the Redeemer and his perennial glorification. (p. 1102)"

"Here is Jesus in prayer, alone, prostrate before the Father, with his arms outstretched and his gaze turned to heaven. It was a marvellous sight worthy of God, as the eternal Word, knowledge of the Father, light from infinite light. He was like an eternal lamp before Him. (p. 1102)"

"Far from modernising ourselves in order to keep up with the times, as they say, we must return to the faith and piety of the Fathers (Tradition and the Deposit of Faith) in every way, because modernisation is already a more or less concealed apostasy and leads infallibly to perdition."

"It was a solemn moment: the angelic host, invisible, became visible; it was a choir of light shining in the night to the ends of the horizon. They were figures as bright as lightning and as placid as the dawn; their eyes were turned towards heaven and their bodies were cloaked in glory. They moved like a starry sky, in perfect order, and they sang. Oh, who can imagine what that song was? (p. 1012)"

"Night came. It was cold but clear, and the stars shone in the sky. A great silence surrounded that place, and an even greater solemnity reigned there, because the invisible heavenly court had already come down to earth to court the divine King, and it shone in its placid spiritual light, made entirely of knowledge and love. Men and things slept, and far away only a few glimmers of the fires of the shepherds watching over their flocks could be seen. The stars revolved in the sky, following the laws of order assigned to them by God, and in Mary's immaculate body the laws of procreation were fulfilled with the same precision. The stars shone and the divine Sun shone towards the horizon of earthly life, about to rise like a ray through the immaculate breast of the Mother. (pp. 1004-1005)"

"When I look back, she never took no for an answer, and sometimes by repeating the story, I lost the meaning of it. Now that I am talking to you, I do remember again what it meant. It meant that she believed in her thoughts and she had self‑confidence, self‑love, and she respected herself and others."

"I don’t like the word ‘boundaries’ […]. I wish they didn’t exist."

"I wanted to be her."

"I thought, ‘If I don't get the part, I'll be the most miserable person in my life because she's wonderful.’"

"Life is about overcoming obstacles, especially for women, so it's a constant battle and you have to remind yourself that if you do nothing, then things will go wrong, but you have to keep acting, you have to keep doing the right things for things to go right."

"Therefore, a new effort of national cohesion is required, as well as a concrete commitment to guarantee peace even outside the borders of Europe itself, to contribute to the construction of a New world order. Guaranteeing international security, preventing and overcoming crises and conflicts in near and faraway areas, is a responsibility that we cannot shirk, that we cannot - neither as Italians nor as Europeans - delegate to others."

"We have reached the point, a moment that has never been experienced since 1989: we need to reflect on the absolute need for a new, fairer and more sustainable world order."

"[Napolitano] is my best Communist friend."

"He quickly saw that the question must be considered not merely in relation to present politics but also in relation to the past history of Ireland, and he delayed his final report in order to consider the question in this broader aspect. Meanwhile the Holy See issued its condemnation of the Plan of Campaign. Persico returned to Rome much disappointed."

"A diplomat's duty is to report to the nation or the state that sends you out, and not to journalists."

"I tried to do my duty and, thanks be to God, I never found myself in danger. Ah, yes, I did it with pleasure, because it was a right thing, and if I had to start over I'd do the same."

"It is necessary to be extremely cautious, because if hatred is fostered with a spirit of vengeance, the fundamentalists are given the possibility to have more power, and the terrorists the opportunity to recruit other terrorists more easily."

"What is required of the Church is a strong exercise of solidarity, each for what he can, but that is a sensitive and effective solidarity. Often we do not realize how much goodness, but also how much evil there is between us."

"Acting is a very powerful tool that allows me to communicate with people. Very often, I can express myself more in acting than in everyday life. I would like to be able to tell a character with a strong story behind them. I want to be able to give a message of strength, of positivity, of courage. It would be interesting to be able to give a voice to a person who lives in dark moments but manages to draw a chance for change. Also, it would be very interesting to be able to experience a girl who is far from who I am in reality and who allows me to be able to talk about sensitive topics such as bullying."

"I was born in the summer and it is the season that I love the most and that represents me. The best memory is that of my past birthdays. I have wonderful memories related to my holidays. In general, even now I love to celebrate the day I was born, I always have this beautiful image in which I celebrate life that makes me feel happy."