Italian farmers offer the Pope a tractor and take a cow to the Vatican

Italian farmers, who have been protesting for several days against European policies to mitigate the effects of climate change, this Sunday handed over a tractor to Pope Francis and took a cow to the Vatican, which has become a symbol of their mobilization.

“I greet the farmers present in the square,” the pope said at the end of the Angelus, referring to a group of protesters in St. Peter’s Square.

A delegation from the Federal Agricultural Movement arrived in St. Peter’s Square, after receiving permission from the Vatican, with two of its greatest symbols: a tractor and the Ercolina cow. This has already happened at the Sanremo music festival.

“With great gratitude, we thank the Holy Father for his hospitality and call on him for support and blessing. We gave him a tractor, a symbol of our efforts,” said a letter the farmers wrote to Francisco, quoted by Efe.

In addition to the tractor, Francisco also received flour, an image of Christ found in a field while a farmer was plowing it, and a bell used to call animals, all symbols of the farmers’ efforts, local press reported.

“We are deeply concerned about the fate of agriculture, the government must give us concrete answers, we cannot wait any longer. Future generations cannot wait any longer. Man is not the owner of our beloved lands, but rather their guardian,” the letter says.

According to a letter from the Federated Agricultural Movement, “the land is the source of life, but farmers constantly suffer from inadequate, speculative and unfair economic and agricultural policies.”

“Our voice will not be silenced, we will follow the path of dialogue and perseverance, with dignity and conviction, to achieve specific goals,” he adds.