The fifteenth Anniversary
Dear Eminence, dear friends,
Qohelet says (3, 1-8):
“For everything, there is a season,
and a time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to uproot;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to tear down, and a time to build;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them;
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to search, and a time to give up;
A time to keep, and a time to throw away;
A time to tear, and a time to mend;
A time to be silent, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time for war, and a time for peace.
For us, today is a time of remembrance.
Together we commemorate our loved ones who dramatically perished on October 8, 2001.
But it is also a time of gratitude. I want to thank His Eminency, our Archbishop Angelo Scola, who is celebrating this Holy Mass for our fifteenth anniversary.
I want to welcome Mayor Giuseppe Sala.
I also wish to thank the religious, civilian, and military authorities and everyone who attends this Mass each year.
I thank the prestigious choir, “Coro di voci bianche de la Verdi” of Milan, that accompanies this commemorative service with moving sentiment.
An immense tragedy struck us 15 years ago when our 118 loved ones left home on a foggy morning, never to return.
The boundless, inconsolable sorrow we feel has profoundly united us and brought about a miracle: it transformed us. It has become endless energy fueled by the power of a new vision, pervaded by the commitment that a similar tragedy must never happen again.
Through the creation and work of Comitato 8 Ottobre, Per Non Dimenticare, our inconsolable sorrow has transformed into action and also serves as a warning to act with rectitude and to respect air safety regulations.
This is why so many of us, along with our friend Pasquale Padovano, are here today in this beloved basilica of Milan to commemorate an event that should have never happened.
In this moment of profound, shared commotion, my heart – and surely the hearts of everyone present – goes to Paolo, who never stops accompanying and guiding us.
But my heart – our hearts – must look to the future. Therefore, I lovingly embrace all our grandchildren who brought the gifts to the altar and endearing took their job very seriously.
For us, this is a time of action. It is a time that we must live for them, who are our future. Therefore, the Foundation works every day animated by a twofold purpose: to improve safety standards in aviation and to immediately supply adequate assistance to the family members of air crash victims.
We embrace the words of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who was recently proclaimed Saint: "Those who spark, on their journey through life, even one glimmer in someone's hour of darkness will not have lived in vain."
After Mass we will go, as every anniversary, to the Bosco dei Faggi for a moment of reflection.
Through this reflection, year after year, I think we have come to resemble our beech trees: well-rooted, able to resist adversity, and able to keep our promise without hiding our scars. Our leaves may change, but we preserve our roots, memories, and sorrow, an indelible warning of the tragedy that could have been avoided and that we will do everything in our power to prevent from happening again.
We promised this to ourselves and our loved ones.
On our journey we have met capable, generous safety experts who have offered us all their expertise, sensibility, and availability to help us in our work. Through this partnership our actions and activities grow stronger each day.
The initial difficulties and obstacles met in our search for truth are a distant memory.
Now we are appreciated and respected by those who once did not understand or, worse yet, refused to understand us. We are always on the front line and our name and credibility are now known and respected worldwide.
This makes us proud, and that pride eliminates any fatigue that I and all the valid members of the technical task force might feel.
Through our actions, we are sustained by the words of Pope Francis – who we recently met during a general audience – who said that "Service is true power."
We therefore continue on our journey of service, relying on the enlightening help of God to prevent the tragedy and sorrow that we personally experienced.
We look ahead to the future with hope, motivation, and determination.
We will all be here again next year: always hopeful, motivated and determined.
Thank you.
THE MAYOR'S SPEECH TO TEATRO ALLA SCALA IN MEMORY OF MILANO LINATE TRAGEDY
Dear friends of “Comitato 8 ottobre”,
Today, fifteen years after the terrible air crash that devastated our city on October 8, 2001, Milan returns to express its affection for and solidarity to those who lost a child, parent, and loved one on that day.
It does so through what has become a wonderful Milanese tradition: the timeless art and music of the La Scala Opera House.
Fifteen years have passed but the memory of that tragedy is still vivid in our minds.
Milan is a dynamic and future-oriented city that nevertheless does not forget the more sorrowful and dramatic moments of its past.
It is a city that has always demonstrated its ability to react to tragedies like that of Linate with composure, dignity and solidarity.
It has always demonstrated its ability to find, even faced with pain and suffering, the strength to react, start again, and look ahead.
The Linate disaster was one of the most terrible moments in our recent history.
It was an absurd tragedy caused by a series of inefficiencies, technical inadequacies and unforgivable errors that must not ever happen again.
Comitato 8 Ottobre was the first to react, even though you were struck by such sorrow.
You set off on a virtuous path to denounce, research and study air transportation for the benefit of the entire community.
With your passionate, untiring, and irreplaceable work, you helped make our airports safer and our air transportation better. You restored certainties and rights to millions of travelers and you created in our country and abroad a new climate of attention and awareness that is the best guarantee that, from now on, everything possible will be done to prevent other similar disasters from occurring.
This is the first time we meet on an official occasion and I'm pleased that this concert gives me the opportunity to express my solidarity, admiration and thanks to all of you for what you have done.
Today is an occasion for remembering, reflecting and renewing our commitment to continue together on the path you began many years ago with courage, strength of mind, and a truly extraordinary sense of civic duty.
Dear friends: Milan, the city's institutions and our citizens are and will always be by your side in your battle for justice and your commitment to society that honors you and the entire city.
I, the city administration, and all the Milanese thank you.
Giuseppe Sala
Mayor of Milan
THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH TO TEATRO ALLA SCALA
Good evening to all and thank you for coming once again.
I first want to thank Mayor Giuseppe Sala, the city administration, the La Scala Opera House, SEA, and SAS for their valuable assistance and continuous support.
I also want to thank the civilian, military, religious and political authorities who wanted to be here with us for our commemoration in this very special setting: the La Scala Opera House, a symbol of Milan that ideally welcomes all our relatives, friends, and loved ones.
This evening is an important gesture for us because it makes us feel more united, more numerous, and more courageous in going forward.
All this is possible thanks to all of you, who have never failed in your support, which is something that I am sure will continue.
Fifteen years have passed since that tragic October morning when an avoidable series of events and irresponsibility caused 118 victims and irremediably changed the life of our dear friend Pasquale Padovano, the only survivor.
Fifteen years ago, like tonight, we were at home with our loved ones and we did not realize that it would have been the last night…
Their lives were prematurely interrupted when there were still many adventures to experience, hobbies to cultivate, and projects to pursue.
Faced with such pain, some erase those memories while others remember them.
Those that erase them talk about the accident and fate, thinking that time heals all wounds and convincing themselves that they must come to terms with it.
Those that remember and continue to come together and embrace one another, like us tonight, talk about an avoidable tragedy and necessities that cannot be delayed to ensure that another tragic event such as the one on October 8, 2001, will never happen again.
A father and a mother must not have to worry about their child's flight and no child must grow up without a parent due to inexperience, recklessness, or worse yet, absurd negligence.
That is why, despite the pain, we are here to remember.
This is our hope, which we want to celebrate and share with you.
Augustine of Hippo wrote that hope has two beautiful daughters: their names are anger and courage.
Anger at the way things are and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are.
We started out with anger and we created a Committee where all family members found and still find a place of comfort for seeking the Hope that helps overcome the pain.
But we also used our courage to change things, which led to the creation of the Foundation that, together with the Committee, works to improve air transportation safety standards.
Now we are trying to face the most recent and terrible situations in the world that have generated a climate of fear and suspicion.
The first to support us in our mission was Archbishop Carlo Maria Martini, who said:
“We all possess an acute perception of the imbalance between the time we have and the growing number of opportunities at our disposal, together with the many looming deadlines. If we could expand our time, would our restlessness diminish? I don't think so. The anxiety that arises at the thought of passing time does not depend upon the number of hours at our disposal. It depends on the absence of a purpose: once this void is filled, time will acquire new meaning."
That is why the Committee and Foundation decided not to limit themselves to mark time, but to use time to leave their mark. Our commitment in keeping the memory alive is not limited to a celebratory memory, but aims at a higher social, humane and fraternal purpose.
Today, also thanks to Italian institutions, we have a plan for assisting air crash victims and their families, and the Foundation is on the front line to help these organizations implement this assistance. Our technical task force – directed by Commander Radini – is present in numerous safety drills in Italian and foreign airports to transmit its expertise and experience. Together with the experts, we are often called to train people who will be required to assist victims and their families in the event of an accident.
We signed an agreement with the Milan Bar Association to provide unbiased, free legal service to victims and their family members after an air crash.
On an international level, our commitment continues non-stop.
In September a delegation of the Foundation attended the general assembly of ICAO, the International Civil Aviation Organization. An international conference on air transportation, organized by the Foundation together with Studi Demetra and the Università degli Studi in Milan, will be held in a few days in Milan with the participation of the most important national and international institutions.
Today I can proudly say that the seriousness of our work is recognized worldwide and many experts in the sector consider it prestigious to join our Task Force.
It hasn't been easy, it isn't easy and it won't be easy in the future. But we cannot and will not stop looking ahead. That's what Paolo Pettinaroli, who launched this association and promoted it, would have wanted.
We will continue with persistence and courage to remember and work together for our loved ones, ourselves, our families and everyone who will help us on this journey.
We can change things: yes we can!
And now, let's prepare to listen to the immortal music of Giuseppe Verdi directed by an exceptional conductor.
Enjoy the evening!
Thank you.