Il Prete dei Fucili si Confessa by Antonio Mandrelli

Priest Antonio Mandrelli, 85 years, was born in Umbria. He serves the countryside churches of a little town called Pietralunga.

This priest became litterally famous after that, two years ago some burglars entered in his prestbytery stoling several objects including a pistol.

The priest, reached by press, confessed that in case of new aggression would have used his guns for protecting himself, reclaiming the possibility of legitimate defense.

It was a crucial moment in Italy: in the Parliament there was the discussion of this law. Don Antonio Mandrelli, a priest! saying these words, became incredibly popular and everyone wanted to see him on TV shows or magazines and newsmagazine. He became a real character.

Last may Antonio Mandrelli published a little book of memories, "Il Prete dei Fucili si Confessa"

and few days ago presented me a copy. While he was autographing it, Antonio told me: "I will be interviewd by Barbara D'Urso. Do you know her?" I told him I can see that she is a beautiful woman.

You'll read this book pretty quickly; 38 pages, plenty of illustrations of his existence, the one of Antonio the so-called "Priest of the Guns." 

Love, agriculture, friends, church priesthood, celibacy, Antonio spaces a lot sometimes with revolutionary ideas and strong, always strong, ideas.

You can feel, reading this little book the fragilities of this man of church, his anxieties, because don Antonio, at the end will embrace God and the church, becoming priest, but remaining alone, without a companion and several children and a feminine presence has been, absolutely his biggest regret.

Antonio reclaims his human weaknesses, his being first of all a man and then a priest: in the book he will let us know which had been  his flirts, loves, imaginary girlfriends, all of them sacrificed because of the church. Don Antonio has alweays been unsecure regarding what he wanted to be in his life: he decided to study for another degree because he wanted to teach as well. This one was his plan B. If his body would have been too weak for resisting the temptations, he would have left the church having a good job. 

A simple and complicated man at the same time, Antonio Mandrelli tells anedocts of the countrysides populated by a lot of families with communists ideas. It was the normality in the past, and Antonio, anyway, has never experienced problems with anyone.

He has strong ideas on the church. Brief prayers, concreets, he disagrees with the final part of the Holy Father, changed recently; he opens to women and men interested in entering in the church as priests. At the moment, remarks the priest, it's quiet impossible for a married man to become a diacon, or, at least, very difficult.

He feels a lot of melancholy for his parents with which he shared twenty-four years of his existence: an existence less wild, less vagabond. 

Past and future of the agriculture: being a truffles seeker, Antonio thinks that it is not possible to continue in this way and that the real seekers of truffles should respect, thanks to new modalities, fields and forests preserving and helping financially the owners of that fields and forests.

This book is available at FOTOLITO 90, Città di Castello.

E-mail info@fotolito90.com.

Price:12 euro.

Anna Maria Polidori