On the eve of May 1st, Cardinal Martini addressed more than two thousand workers at the Franco Tosi factory in Milan. Among the political speeches, newspaper commentary, essays, and tributes that fill such occasions, his words rang out with severity—condemning work that has ceased to be human, yet speaking with strength and solidarity as he urged workers toward unity and participation, much like an ancient biblical prophet.
The Cardinal said: «We are often required to give such total, all-consuming dedication to work that it belongs in Scripture's list of forbidden idols.» «I hear talk of grueling, stressful shifts, of couples juggling work schedules so that sometimes they barely see each other for days...»
«I hear that the cost is so high (...) in terms of raising children—the exhaustion of trying to be present for them...»
Martini described modern work as freed from the heavy manual labor of the past, yet precisely because of this, «it demands intelligent people, intuitive and sensitive, adaptable, forever young and quick, always up to date and alert» (...) »all too often people lack the strength, the time, the intelligence, and the skills that this requires.»
Listening to the Cardinal's reflection, our thoughts turn naturally to the families we know best—those raising a disabled child, who need to double or multiply their time, attention, and care; to the young people we know, capable of doing simple work in their own way. What kind of life do they have now? What future awaits them in a world where work has become the only god, a golden calf before which we risk having to bow?
Yet the Cardinal calls us to feed ourselves on Scripture, to remain faithful to the law of respect for one another, which the Gospel shows us. He asks us to stand united in the face of difficulty, to see suffering, and to have courage in imagining solutions—because complaint serves nothing; what matters is to build, with skill and compassion, a more human reality.
And we believe him. You must believe the prophets.
T.C., 2002