«No one is as convinced of the necessity of peace as the military, as those who must deal with Defense».
This is the message delivered by the Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto, during his speech at the 35th Agidae Summer Professional Training Campus, held in Assisi.
In front of the participants and representatives of the Armed Forces present in the front row, Crosetto emphasized how the men and women called to prepare for war are often those who most deeply understand the value of peace.
Saint Francis and the experience of war
In his speech, the Minister also recalled an episode from the youth of Francis of Assisi.
Before his conversion and choice of a life dedicated to fraternity, Francis participated in the clashes between Assisi and Perugia, culminating in the Battle of Collestrada in 1202.
«Francis himself, for those who know his story, learned the value of peace by fighting», Crosetto recalled.
It was through the direct experience of war, suffering, and imprisonment that the young Francis came to know the consequences of violence and gradually developed a vision based on peace, dialogue, and reconciliation.
The historical reference allowed the Minister to connect the Franciscan message to the condition of those who, even today, wear a uniform.
«Soldiers know the human cost of conflicts»
«No one more than the military and the Armed Forces wants peace, because they know the opposite of peace and, often, have experienced it firsthand».
Crosetto's words challenge the idea that military preparation is necessarily contrary to the pursuit of peace.
Those who work in Defense indeed know the human cost of conflicts, the consequences on civilian populations, the sacrifice required of combatants, and the wounds that war leaves even after hostilities cease.
Preparing to defend the country does not mean desiring confrontation. It means being ready to protect institutions, the population, and national security should diplomacy and deterrence prove insufficient.
«Defense is the defense of peace»
Crosetto then explained why the presence of the Minister of Defense in an ecclesiastical and Franciscan context should not be considered a contradiction.
«Defense is, in my view, the defense of peace».
A phrase that summarizes the role of the military instrument within a democratic state: not the pursuit of war, but the ability to prevent it, discourage it, and face it when it becomes inevitable.
Peace, in this perspective, does not coincide with the mere temporary absence of fighting. It requires credible institutions, solid alliances, deterrence capabilities, and prepared Armed Forces.
An inefficient Defense or one incapable of reacting can indeed make a country more vulnerable to pressures, threats, and external aggressions.
Training, culture, soul, and values
Addressing the ecclesiastical entities present at the Campus, Crosetto finally recalled their role in a period marked by wars, international crises, and growing instability.
«One of your peculiarities, in a dramatic moment like the one we are experiencing, is to transmit not only training, health, and culture, but also soul and values».
The Minister thus recalled the responsibility of educational and social institutions in forming people capable of understanding the complexity of the present, without separating professional preparation from the moral dimension.
The message delivered in Assisi can be summarized in a simple principle: knowing war does not mean loving it. Often it means, on the contrary, fully understanding its horror and committing to ensuring that peace can be protected.
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