My God, my God ...

MANIFESTO

While I'm certainly sympathetic to the horrid events in Italy, I can't help being perversely amused at the litany of damage done to churches in the region.

L'Aquila: The bell tower of the 16th-century San Bernardino church — its own construction delayed by 15th century quakes — and the cupola of the Baroque Sant'Agostino church fell.

Celano: The main altar of the Baroque Sant'Angelo Church collapsed in this town ...

Teramo: The quake badly damaged the facade of the church of Sant'Agostino, shifted a bell tower at the convent of San Domenico and brought down the ceiling of the church of Poggio Cono.

Paganica: The baroque church of Santa Maria Assunta in this suburb of L'Aquila was badly damaged, with chunks missing from the pale yellow structure and cracks running through it.

Loreta Apruntino: The quake brought down the bell tower on the church of St. Francis.

Goriano Sicoli: The tremblor badly damaged the facade of the Saint Gemma church.

No doubt the survivors will try to rebuild those sanctuaries so they can pray to the God who failed them this time to keep the cataclysm away in the future—to which I say, good luck with that.

Likewise, my own church will no doubt pray this coming Easter Sunday that the damages be repaired quickly so that the towns can become what they were before yesterday, which is to say, bastions of superstition.