The mother of Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa: “When he was a child every piece of wood was good to build a cross”

In the small village of Castel Liteggio, television has been on for hours. Maria Tadini, among the Cardinals of the Conclave, is looking for one in particular: Pierbattista Pizzaballa, his son.

“There he is! Here it is where! Hello joy»Says the woman, who will turn ninety in June, with her voice full of emotion, while lengthening a hand towards the screen.

The kitchen fills up quickly. Relatives gather around her, the cameras come, journalists ask questions. There are those who hope, those who hypothesize, those who want to understand if that cardinal of Bergamo origins really can become the successor of Pope Francis. But those who know Pierbattista Pizzaballa lives this moment with A more detained emotion, made of pride, but also of a little fear.

To those who ask her if she is ready to see him become a pontiff, Maria Tadini replies: “The streets of the Lord are infinite”. Then, in dialect, he adds: “If it has to go so far it is fine, but it’s okay even if he returns to Jerusalem. There he spent many years and did well. I wouldn’t mind. If he remains in Rome it is another task, but in the Holy Land he has always done his duty ».

His thoughts go to Jerusalem, to the mission that his son has carried on for years and that many consider irreplaceable. That city has become its second home And Mary’s desire, rather than seeing him Pope, seems to be that he can continue to do the good there where he has already given a lot.

Meanwhile, many relatives gathered in the room: the cousins ​​Ornella and Raffaella, his brother Fiorenzo, his nephew Riccardo, Ilaria, daughter of the other brother. Fiorenzo gives voice to a common feeling: «It would be a great honor. I think it is one of the most prepared and thick people, but it is not part of the establishment. Personally I would prefer that he continued his mission to Jerusalem ».

And while the images of the Conclave flow again on the screen, Maria Tadini looks at the face of the son and whispers: “Pierbattista, come home!”. Then he adds, always in dialect: «In Jerusalem I managed to go three times. If he was elected pope, I don’t know how much free time he would remain».

In an interview a Tgcom24 He remembered as the cardinal was as a child: «He never wanted toys or footballers’ figurines, because he played with the Santini. Each piece of wood was good to build a cross». Now, observing the son of the son, he adds: «He has done a lot of work in recent years. He gave me so much satisfaction ». Before the conclave, the cardinal called the mother to find out how he was. “When he returns to my house, where he was born, I will cook his favorite dishes: polenta, salami and chips.”