Caserta, girl stabbed at school, the Bishop: "We are all guilty"

The bishop of Caserta, Pietro Lagnese, expressed his pain and regret for the episode of the 17-year-old minor who yesterday stabbed an 18-year-old schoolmate in class at the Buonarroti high school.

In his message, the prelate reiterated the words used in late summer 2022 during the homily at the funeral of 18-year-old Gennaro Leone, stabbed and killed following a trivial argument on the streets of the nightlife in Caserta.

“Violence is not an individual act, but a collective responsibility,” the bishop said. “The temptation would be to point the finger at the guilty party. Justice, of course, will take its course and will show us the responsibilities and what happened. But it would be hypocritical to think that the guilty party is just one person. We cannot wash our hands of it like Pilate.”

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“In the face of these events, it is right to ask ourselves if we have done our part,” Lagnese continued. “Perhaps we adults are the ones who are truly responsible. We are guilty of not putting dreams in the hearts of our children, of not making them passionate enough about life. We cannot afford that.”

“Everyone’s commitment is necessary,” the bishop concluded. “Everyone must do their duty, institutions like schools, but also our Church, and all of us adults towards young people, so that they feel safe and accompanied in their dreams and in confronting their fears.”

The bishop's message is a strong and clear warning to civil society. Violence is not a problem that concerns only the victims and those directly responsible, but concerns all of us. It is a collective responsibility that we must assume if we want to build a better future for our young people.