Background noise

Fr. Livio Tonello, director

The chaotic life of our cities produces constant, annoying and sometimes deafening noise capable of wearing down one’s health. Not even living in apartment blocks offers respite; clattering, loud music and shouting generate daily tensions and conflicts. However, there are sounds to which one becomes accustomed over time. They become part of the daily landscape, permeating the environment, and eventually one no longer notices them, as if the brain were raising a defensive barrier. This happens to those who live near railway tracks or close to a factory; those background noises cease to be perceived. The same mechanism kicks in when faced with world events. Gradually, adaptation sets in when confronted with history’s tragedies. This applies to wars that have dragged on for years, the incessant tragedies of migration and violence against people, as well as what happens in ordinary daily life, such as domestic abuse, bullying among the very young and workplace deaths. The media constantly talk about these things, yet the result is that we no longer take notice. Thus, even evil becomes background noise: once the initial shock has passed, everything fades into the background. Immense tragedies unfold against the backdrop of our existence, but the ‘ears…