The President of the Republic , Sergio Mattarella , has promulgated the law establishing the national holiday of Saint Francis , however, pointing out some critical aspects to the Presidents of the Chambers, Ignazio La Russa and Lorenzo Fontana.

"I have proceeded with the promulgation of the law —even though its text contains some critical aspects that I feel obliged to highlight—considering the significance of the provision and the fact that the objections do not concern constitutional issues."

A statement from the Quirinale states that "Article 1 of the law, paragraph 1—in order to promote the values of peace, brotherhood, environmental protection, and solidarity—establishes the national holiday of Saint Francis of Assisi, patron saint of Italy, to be celebrated on October 4th each year. Consequently, paragraph 2 includes October 4th, as the "national holiday of Saint Francis of Assisi, patron saint of Italy," in the list of days considered holidays at the national level, which entail the observance of full holiday hours in the workplace and the prohibition of performing certain legal acts." The third paragraph of the same article—the statement continues—amends Law No. 132 of March 4, 1958, "Festive celebration of October 4th in honor of the special patrons of Italy, Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Catherine of Siena," merely removing any reference to Saint Francis from the law and its title.

Consequently, Law No. 132 of 1958 now states that "October 4th is considered a civil holiday and a day of peace, fraternity, and dialogue between members of different cultures and religions, in honor of the Patron Saint of Italy, Saint Catherine of Siena." The regulatory framework resulting from the approved law, therefore, is as follows: October 4th is designated both a national holiday, in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, and a civil holiday, in honor of Saint Catherine of Siena. Two different legislative provisions stipulate that, with reference to the two Saints, substantially the same values are celebrated on the same day but with different rules. In both cases, in particular, it is stipulated that, on the same day, October 4th, schools may promote initiatives dedicated to the universal values that each of the two Saints is considered to embody. However, these initiatives can no longer be held on October 4th, as it is now a holiday.

Regarding Saint Francis, the possibility of undertaking similar initiatives is extended to public administrations, third-sector organizations, and public institutions at the national, regional, and local levels. It is clear that the legislation governing the two anniversaries requires corrective measures aimed at coordinating the two legislative texts . First, I must point out that the same day—October 4th—cannot be designated both a national holiday and a civil solemnity, also because, among other things, our legal system assigns different effects to these designations. A decision must therefore be made accordingly—presumably by repealing the provision for a less relevant civil solemnity—and, necessarily, by clarifying whether the October 4th holiday should be exclusively dedicated to Saint Francis or also to Saint Catherine, which until now have been considered jointly. Furthermore, better coordination requires specifying the initiatives that institutions may undertake and their content, especially if different dates are to be established for the two anniversaries. It should be noted that, with regard to schools and public offices, the now public holiday nature of October 4th must be taken into account. I therefore urge Parliament to make the necessary adjustments to the provision. Finally, I cannot fail to emphasize the need for legislative texts to be clear and unequivocal.

(Unioneonline)

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