Christmas Messages from Savoys Emphasise Hope for Italians in New Year
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| Amedeo of Savoy-Aosta and Maria Isabella of Savoy-Genoa, 1955. |
On the occasion of Christmas and the New Year, both Duke Amedeo of Savoy, Head of the Royal House, and his cousin Princess Maria Isabella of Savoy-Genoa have issued messages to Italians in Italy and abroad. Amedeo and Maria Isabella are close friends as well as third cousins once removed. Both born in 1943, Amedeo is the only child of Prince Aimone of Savoy-Aosta (1900-1948) and Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark (1904-1974); Maria Isabella is the only child of Prince Eugenio of Savoy-Genoa (1906-1996) and Princess Lucia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1908-2001).
You can read their messages to the Italian people below.
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Dear Italians,
A year is drawing to a close that has certainly been the most difficult through which our generations have lived. A year of serious suffering and grief that have affected many families everywhere as well as our social lives and the connective tissue of our national identity. This pandemic, which treacherously affects those large and small and not only our nation but the whole world, has taken us by surprise, unprepared, and, therefore, most vulnerable. Only thanks to the generous selflessness of all the health personnel, including many who have been personally affected themselves, has it been possible to partially contain this virus. All this has generated an unprecedented economic crisis that has severely hit large sectors of production and trade, with serious effects on employment, without sparing artisans and freelancers.
We have been pummelled by information disseminated in an incorrect and contradictory form that has generated confusion, anxiety, and anguish, with serious consequences also on a psychological level. I am thinking of the young people who, due to physical distancing, are deprived of that joy, freedom and human contacts, indispensable for their growth and formation; to the many elderly people who, in need of attention, moral and material support, have remained isolated, confused and deprived of any contact with their loved ones. We Italians have experienced other moments of serious difficulties which we have faced with intelligence and determination, such as in the aftermath of the war, when an entire people were able to resume the path of civil progress and widespread prosperity from underneath the rubble. This recovery will be long and difficult, both as regards public health and the economic situation. An extraordinary commitment of the institutions will be necessary to return to growth and create appropriate aid for those in difficulty.
Parliament must return to being a force of lucid legislative capacity, so that it can pass laws that do not create those confusions and injustices that make the governmental institutions unpopular. It will be essential to invest in safeguarding the hydrogeological structure of the country so that climate change is appropriate addressed and combated. The commitment must be urgent to adapt the road, railway, and port infrastructures of Italy in order to look to the future with a long-term competitive perspective which, also in relation to our geographical position in the Mediterranean, makes Italy a privileged gateway to Europe, Africa, and the Middle and Far East. I would like to end my thoughts by sharing the wonderful news of the return to their families of our fishermen from Mazara del Vallo.
I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a New Year that will bring us trust and hope to be able to look serenely at the future of our children and grandchildren.
Amedeo of Savoy,
San Rocco,
24 December 2020
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Message from H.R.H. Princess Maria Isabella of Savoy-Genoa on the Occasion of Christmas and the New Year.
Dearest friends,
May an affectionate wish for peace, harmony, and serenity reach you all and your families during this Holy Christmas.
It was a difficult year for all of humanity; the serious losses of family members, friends and acquaintances. The pandemic, social unrest, serious crises and economic difficulties have severely affected our daily lives.
The word crisis in ancient Greek meant "change." It is therefore our duty to keep alive hope and commitment to one another, so that the crises of our recent days will end swiftly and may instead become forces of change aimed at amelioration for all, at social growth, and at development, in order to achieve social peace, and to guarantee and ensure a better future for us all.
With trust in the hope that Our Lord will protect and enlighten us and guide our steps during the New Year 2021 and towards new and more peaceful life, I offer my best wishes.
Maria Isabella of Savoy-Genoa
São Paulo, Brazil
25 December 2020
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