- Any news? - None, Your Holiness,
Brethren, children,,,
and especially you, my beloved youth,,,
Holy Week begins,
It saw the attainment of human redemption
and of perfect divine glorification,
Let us pray together
for those who are suffering at present,
Let us pray for the Honourable Aldo Moro,
so dear to us,
kidnapped in a cowardly attack,
with this heartfelt appeal
for him to be returned
to his loved ones,
EXTERNAL NIGHT
The court is now in session,
The hearing may begin,
I have been given a typed document
headed "Communiqué Number Eleven",
Having deemed that it does not contain
material relevant to this trial,
but rather ideological digressions, political interpretations,
we shall include it in the court records,
I wish to read it on behalf of all 15 comrades,
Ferrari, the communiqué is a political manifesto not pertinent to the trial,
It is relevant,
It concerns us, you,
the Christian Democracy Party and its 30-year-long occupation of Italy
and its nefarious deeds, crimes, atrocities, scandals that have discredited this country,
Enough!
No more proclamations! Enough!
Your Honour, I ask again to be able to read the communiqué,
And I repeat, it is not relevant to this trial,
The accused can speak when he takes the stand,
This decision demonstrates your political weakness and short-sightedness,
But as you pursue this trial, quite another one is underway in this country!
Unlike you, we shall hold a normal, legal trial,
Everyone knows this is a political trial,
We’ll all be found guilty of political crimes, like under fascism!
Totally illegal!
I ask for their expulsion, They're justifying crime,
Calm down, Don't raise your voice,
We'll leave the courtroom, That’s our choice,
We'll leave three observers to monitor your counter-revolutionary activity,
Let us out!
- We are revolutionary militants! - Open the cages,
The Red Brigades exist, Here, outside, everywhere,
That's why you’re so afraid of us that you keep us in cages!
- You're just a gang, - That’s right,
But a gang holding Aldo Moro that will, in the name of the people,
put Christian Democracy on trial and the entire Italian political class!
Well done!
Enough, We'll take a brief recess,
So cooler heads may prevail, for everyone,
Court will resume in half an hour, Let's go,
Comrades, march on!
We are the great party of the workers,
A red flower has blossomed within us,
A faith has been born in our hearts,
We are no longer in the workshop,
but on the land, in the fields, at sea,
The commoners have always bowed down
without an ideal in which to hope,
Fight on!
Our ideal will at last come to be!
The International,
the future of humanity!
Counsellor Guiso, may I have a word?
I'm Cesare Curioni, We met at San Vittore Prison,
- May I sit down? - Of course,
Thank you,
President Moro must be saved,
I'm convinced you think so too,
Let's put our differences aside and find a way to save him together,
If the Red Brigades haven't killed him, there’s room for negotiation,
You should speak to your clients,
Make them see reason, Find out what they want in exchange,
Look, I was recused too,
I'm here to defend Lazagna who didn’t recuse me,
as he's an old-guard Communist,
But you know them well, personally,
They've won, shown their strength, They can be satisfied with that,
Tell them there's a lot of money,
Much more than for the Costa kidnapping,
I don't think they’re interested in money, They want recognition,
Don't you see? They’re an army at war,
They're too few,
Castro began with just a few, It's about perspective,
Please, can I count on your help?
I'll ask, but there are other players involved now,
Forgive me, but who are you negotiating for?
Your Holiness, Monsignor Curioni,
Come,
Take a seat, monsignor,
The Red Brigades in jail don't know anything,
They make proclamations but they're in the dark,
They know what we know,
Who's in charge and who's managing the abduction,,, It's always like that,
I've also spoken to other individuals,
lifers in the know, mafiosi, camorristi, prudently and personally,
They trust me,
They don't get along with the Red Brigades, In fact, they detest each other,
The mafiosi are murderers, criminals, but they're also believers,
They go to Mass, take communion, get married in church, baptise their children,
We understand each other, We speak the same language,
It might be another option,
Not with the Red Brigades, though,
They're materialist atheists, fanatical revolutionaries,
Let's not lose heart,
There's often a weak link, an exception,,,
an unexpected repentance, a sudden conversion,
Never despair,
Call me at once if there's any news, but not on this line, The phone might be tapped,
Wire-tap you, the vicar of Christ?
Prudence is the first of the cardinal virtues, and not without reason,
- Do you still live in prison? - Yes, to be closer to the inmates,
Right,
You may go,
Aldo's a friend,
A dear friend, We must save him,
We must convince the government to save him,
Your Holiness,,,
you should eat a little meat,
It gives you strength,
I want to be at the Stations of the Cross,
Holy Father, that's impossible in your condition,
It could be the last time,
For so many it could be the last time,
Let's try with that one,
No, a smaller one,
An even smaller one,
Seventh station, Jesus falls for the second time,
He committed no sin and no deceit came from his mouth,
He bore our sins in his body on the wood of the cross,
What's happening? Your Holiness?
What's happening?
Are you unwell?
Oh, God,
Sister Caterina, it needs to be dressed at once,
THE TERRORISTS' BLACKMAIL WILL NOT DEFEAT US
I saw you carrying the cross with a certain vigour,
It wasn't that heavy, Your Holiness,
The politicians?
They stayed at home, for their own safety, given the current climate,
That's right, I didn't see them,
Mrs Moro has arrived, Your Holiness,
Dear Noretta,
Leave us alone, please,
Come, Noretta, Have a seat,
Dear Noretta, your pain is ours,
As is our resolve to bring our dear Aldo home,
Your Holiness, I can never thank you enough,
For us you are,,,
But I can't,,,
The papers are saying he's not himself, he's insane,
His dearest friends, the Osservatore Romano,
Calm down, It's the official public position, and it's ours too,
We must think of the billion Catholics spread all over the world,
They make up our church, Without them we would not exist,
The humanity with which Aldo always thought of his party applies to us too,
What must Aldo think?
He must feel abandoned, By everyone!
If he were to read it,
he'd understand that it is not what the Church thinks
and not what I think either,
He would not stop at the words, He would sense their deeper meaning,
No one is abandoning him,
We must maintain a prudent, diplomatic stance,
so we can act in secret,
You must have faith,
Your Holiness, in you, I have all the faith in the world,
- As for the rest,,, - How are the children?
Fine,
Praying is the most important thing,
Never tire of repeating prayers,
Everyone has come to visit us,
Everyone, Except Andreotti,
Is he the one urging firmness? Why so much obstinacy?
He's not the only one, They're all for firmness, but to different degrees,
I understand your bitterness, Nora,
But many are taking action,
like so many little crusaders with the sole aim of saving him,
Don't lose hope, Aldo is not alone,
Your Holiness, I am not a desperate woman, not yet,
Nor am I resigned,
But if he were to be condemned, since they're trying him, I won't sit still,
- I shall not stay silent, - Pass me my cane,
Come with me,
Rossini,
Don Macchi, uncover it,
The manure of the Devil,
But the holy purpose purifies it,
The usual spaghetti with tomato sauce, a small portion, with parmesan,
- Two scoops of ice cream? - No,
Eminence, can I offer you something? Coffee?
No, thank you,
We must nourish ourselves,
But I made a vow not to eat ice cream until Moro is freed,
I understand you have a large sum ready,
How much are we talking?
20 billion lire has been collected but donations are still coming in,
I wish to pass on
the concern, the sensibility of the Holy Father
who merely wishes to gauge the government's willingness
and that of its supporters,
to allow a Vatican way to save the Honourable Moro,
But we can't move without your approval,
And if they say no?
Will you wait for me?
Tell the party secretaries it's 20 billion,
Gentlemen,
The Holy See wants to pay a ransom
a very substantial sum,
They have it ready,
20 billion,
Billions to the Red Brigades means bombs,
bazookas, an arsenal, more deaths,
Just think what they did with the 1,5 billion Costa ransom,
- It's dripping with blood, - There could be an uprising, chaos,
Entire companies could break ranks, a general mutiny,
If you pay the ransom, we won't be able to control our people,
Not us, the Holy See,
We risk our lives and you free our comrades' murderers,
We're all risking our lives, Calm down,
I'm with you, and the government parties will be too,
I must leave you,
- Did you tell them? - Placate the generals,
- Are they angry? - They are and they're playing it up,
Well, you know, it's 20 billion,
- We'll definitely pay, - Wait a minute,
If we negotiate, how will we Communists face the workers?
I feel responsibility toward those we've asked sacrifices of,
What do we tell them? How do we explain?
To pay is to surrender,
Let's discuss this, We are government allies,
There isn't much to discuss, It's either yes or no,
It's yes from me,
Christian Democracy won't oppose the payment of a ransom,
- It's a yes from us too, - It's a yes from us as well,
If it's about money, not political recognition,,,
Giulio, I'm very happy about this decision,
For us Socialists the humanitarian road is the way to go,
It's the main path,
We must try everything to save Aldo Moro's life,
Even if,,,
I ask you to consider one last thing,
If with the money from the Costa kidnapping,,,
Fine, but if we say no,
in the public's eyes we'll be the ones who wanted Moro dead,
The negotiation faction is growing,
Committees, appeals for Moro's liberation are growing,
The Pope has called the Christian world to prayer,
- They're praying everywhere, - Yes, I understand,
The generals told me that in the barracks a blaze could flare up, You need to know that,
Our position must be clear, I repeat, no political recognition,
For us Communists, the Brigades are blood-thirsty criminals,
They're not in our family album,
That said, there can be negotiations, but secret, not public,
- Do it, but don't say it, - That's Communists for you,
I'll inform Monsignor Casaroli,
Responding to the call from Catholic Action,
thousands of people have joined in prayer
in the Cathedral of St John Late ran,
embracing in their hearts the families of the victims
of the slaughter in Via Fani and the Honourable Moro,
The youngsters from Catholic Action read the intentions of the prayers
dedicated to the victims, to the Honourable Moro
and to the perpetrators of this absurd massacre,
United in his name, we beseech God
for the release of our brother Aldo Moro,
reciting the prayer Jesus taught us,
Our Father who art in heaven,,,
Let's do this quickly,
Do you speak on behalf of the Red Brigades?
I am a member of the Red Brigades,
The money's ready, It's what you asked for,
Good,
The release must take place in the Vatican, outside Italian jurisdiction,
Fine, That's understandable,
- But how? - We have friends everywhere,
Are we agreed?
Yes, but we need proof he's alive and that you're the ones holding him,
- We'll meet here again, - No, It's dangerous in the same place,
Somewhere else, I'll let you know,
Without proof, we can't hand over the money,
Proof he's alive and that he's in your hands,
The money, I repeat, is there,
I left an envelope on the bench opposite the confessional,
It's the proof you're looking for, That's enough for today,
You still have doubts, Your Holiness?
I'm sorry, Doesn't it seem the same as the first communiqué?
I think it's the same, One is bigger, the other is smaller,
Is this the proof your contact supplied? Nothing else?
That's right,
This photo doesn't tell me he's alive, There's no detail that proves it,
No date, no newspaper,
If they wanted to prove Moro is alive, a date would have been enough,
We need more,
- Father, - I'm here,
Well?
- The photo, - First we discuss how we do it,
No, did you bring the photo with the newspaper?
- Listen,,, - Yes or no?
It wasn't possible,
They couldn't take it,
Bringing the other one was a big deal,
But I can give you other proof,
Father,
Why did you leave?
You were supposed to bring proof of life, For us it's fundamental,
- It wasn't possible, - Then I can't trust you,
I can give other proof, Tomorrow a communiqué will announce his death,
Relax, the president's still alive,
So what's the point?
We have to take the heat off Rome, There can't be a roadblock at every corner,
- Break the siege? - You've grasped the concept,
Father,
ALDO MORO HAS BEEN ASSASSINATED
"Today, 18 April, 1978,
"marks the end of the dictatorial era of Christian Democracy,
"which for 30 years has dominated with the logic of abuse,
"In concomitance with this date, we announce
"that the President of Christian Democracy, Aldo Moro, has been executed by suicide,
"We consent to the retrieval of his body and name the exact place where he lies,
"Aldo Moro's body is submerged on the muddy bottom of Lake Duchessa,"
says what my contact told me,
- What do you think, Your Holiness? - That we have no choice,
Your Holiness, the rice is getting cold,
The diver's attempts have been in vain,
The ice is layered in such a way
that it does not allow a body to be submerged,
How long has the lake been frozen?
Since winter,
Since before March 16,
They would have had to take the body there at night,
break the ice, lower the body in,
close the hole with more ice, then cover everything with snow,
hoping more snow would fall
to restore a spotless coating,
A miracle,
Isn't all this deployment of forces senseless?
We've been tricked,
Don Cesare Curioni,
Yes,
There's a phone call for you,
It's His Holiness the Pope, It's not a joke,
I'm sorry, I did everything I could,
Father, I must thank you,
We are so eager to save him
that we didn't realise it was all a trick
and that your contact was not from the Red Brigades, but an impostor,
For us it's cold comfort to have avoided the swindle,
You're right, Your Holiness,
But if he's an impostor, who's behind him?
Who wants to prevent all that money going to the Red Brigades?
One of two options,
Either they're swindlers who made it all up to cash in on the ransom,
or there are government forces,
powers that oppose the ransom, but don't do so openly,
The primary goal, the most noble,
is to save Moro by themselves with their own forces,
so as to give Italians faith that the state still exists,
The secondary goal, however, is much less noble,
It is to prevent Aldo Moro from being freed,
With a further bifurcation,,,
to want his death or, by gambling with the Red Brigades,
to force them to free him with nothing in exchange,
FOR ELEONORA MORO
FOR POPE PAUL VI
"At this difficult time,
"I take the liberty with profound respect and deep hope,
"of addressing Your Holiness,
"so you may, with high moral authority
"and Christian humanitarian spirit,
"intercede with the relevant Italian government authorities
"for a just solution to the issue of the exchange of political prisoners
"and for me to be returned to my family,
"for whose serious necessities,
"my presence and assistance are indispensable,
"Only Your Holiness
"can place, before the needs of the state, in righteous order,
"moral reasoning and the right to life,
"With deep gratitude, hope and devout reverence,
"your devoted Aldo Moro,"
Call Monsignor Casaroli at once,
- Your Holiness, won't you eat something? - No, thank you, Please go,
Holy Father,
Have the Prime Minister read Aldo Moro's letter, if he hasn't already seen it,
Inform him I intend to speak directly to the Red Brigades without mediation,
Your Holiness, am I to add anything
about the nature of what you intend to say to the Red Brigades?
No, because I don't know yet what I will write,
Us and them directly,
And may God inspire me,
Very well, Your Holiness,
Of course His Holiness can address the Red Brigades,
I'm sure he is fully aware of the limits our duties impose on us,
We are attempting to do the impossible, but we are dealing with criminals
who, while not recognising us, demand to be recognised,
They're bullying us because they feel they're stronger,
It would be a defeat, if the state were to surrender,
It's unacceptable,
I heard that one of the widows,
the widow of the slain commander of the escort,
threatened to set fire to herself in front of Chigi Palace,
If His Holiness wants to write, let him,
Let him ask for Moro's release,
but with no conditions,
with no compensation,
This is the situation and it cannot change,
But I repeat, I'm certain that in his infinite wisdom
the Holy Father is fully aware of it,
Let's hope so,
HOLY SEE OF THE PAPAL STATE
Your Holiness,
I think that His Excellency the Prime Minister
would appreciate a preview of the letter,
it would be, I believe, a sign of respect,
We shall consider that when it is ready, It is not,
Macchi,
Is Don Curioni still in Rome?
No, he is at home, in Asso,
Call him,
Hello?
Don Curioni, I'll put you through to the Holy Father,
Step away, please,
Your Holiness, what's happening?
I am having difficulty,
I'm writing a letter to the Red Brigades and I would like your opinion,
Of course, Tell me,
I would like to be direct,,,
free,
Yes, freer,
But,,,
I'm aware of what I represent and what I have always striven to be,
And,,,
a man's life depends on me, a man dear to me,
He's precious to the life of the Church, of the country,
It's hard to hold together responsibility and mercy,
To concede, or not to concede, and if so, how much, or what,
To speak to hearts and minds,
Yes, to minds as well, but of people I do not know,
who are far from me, thousands of miles away,
who do not have faith,
How do you persuade an unbeliever?
I know they are men and women, They're not aliens,
It's language that penetrates hearts,
Saint Francis tamed a wolf, spoke to the birds,
My God, I'm rambling, He was a saint,
Your Holiness,,,
I hear that over and over every day, as if I really were holy,
- Holiness, let's not get lost in,,, - You're right, Don Cesare,
You know them better than me, Help me,
What do you wish to convey, exactly?
I want them to understand that mine is more than an appeal,
I want them to feel my pain, that I only want them to free him,
Then say so, but in your own style, I am a poor priest,
If I were capable of finding the words,,,
Listen,
I've written vindice,
I've written alberghi,
They're words that are no longer used,
You are the Holy Father, It's solemnity,
Speaking to the world is your mission,
You are Christ's vicar and Christians must know it,
But if I used another style, perhaps I could astonish them, move them,
- If instead I use my style,,, - No, permit me to disagree,
They are materialistic revolutionaries, They do not understand nuance,
They are crude, methodical, astute and full of hatred, That's how they are,
You cannot indulge them,
I can't be free, as you can, because of what I represent,
I must speak this way, It's right,
I cannot be what I am not, Perish the thought,
Listen,
I wanted to begin like this,
Direct,
"I am writing to you, men of the Red Brigades,
"Restore to freedom,
"to his family, to civilian life, the Honourable Aldo Moro,"
- What do you think? - It's a good start,
It's powerful,
Starting is easy, but then,,,
Forgive me if I bothered you,
Go back to sleep, Father,
And thank you, I'll sort it out on my own,
- Good night, - Good night, Your Holiness,
"I am writing to you, men of the Red Brigades,
"Restore to freedom,
"to his family, to civilian life, the Honourable Aldo Moro,
"I have no mandate towards him,
"nor am I tied to him by any personal interests,
"I love him as a member of the great human family,
"as a brother in faith and as a son of the Church of Christ,
'It is in the supreme name of Christ
"that I beg you on my knees,
"free the Honourable Aldo Moro,
"simply, unconditionally,"
The authors have taken dramatic licence with people and events,
Any connection with any person not explicitly identified, living or dead, is coincidental,