This picture, taken in another occasion, nevertheless says it all about the last minute change of plans cancelling tonight's dinner at the Perdonanza ceremony in L'Aquila that would have brought together Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. In a tersely worded declaration, the Vatican press office announced earlier today that it had been decided to cancel the dinner and give the money put aside for it to charity. At the same time Palazzo Chigi, the seat of the Italian government, announced that in order to avoid any political strumentalization (toolate!!!) the government would no longer be represented at the ceremony by Berlusconi but by Undersecretary Gianni Letta.

The change in plans made it clear that the Vatican did not want to be drawn into any further verbal tussles with the Berlusconi camp and followed a new dispute between Il Giornale, the daily newspaper owned by Berlusconi's brother, Paolo, and the Italian Bishops Conference, the CEI.. Yesterday, the paper's controversial editor, Vittorio Feltri, who has a well-deserved (and I can testify to this since I once worked for him) reputation as a muckraker, accused Dino Boffo, the editor of the CEI's daily, Avvenire, of throwing stones at glass houses saying in effect that he was morally unfit to criticize Berlusconi's lifestyle as that paper has done repeatedly in recent months. Feltri said Avvenire's editor was a known homosexual who had once been investigated for telephone harassment. Berlusconi took his distance from Feltri, saying people's private lives were sacred. Boffo denies the incident.

In the meantime, Berlusconi's lawyers announced yesterday they were suing the Rome daily, La Repubblica, for one billion euros in damages for what they claim is defamation. Their target is the series of "ten questions" that the paper says Berlusocni refuses to answer. La Repubblica has been waging an unceasing battle against the prime minister for the last several months, but personally I think people are getting tired of it. But more about this in another, future, post.