Born in Adria on 21 December 1909, Carlo Chiarato has been a member of the Catholic Action association of the parish of the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul since he was very young. His social development therefore takes place within the AC, becoming convinced of the need for Catholics to engage in public life to bear witness to the Gospel in every sector of society. In this sense, he develops his opposition to fascism, which seeks to exploit religious faith and repress the Church's educational initiatives. In 1943, he is employed at the local Agricultural Consortium: the events that mark and follow the fall of fascism (25 July: Mussolini is voted out of confidence by the Grand Council; 8 September: armistice between Italy and the Allies, while "the war continues"; 12 September: Mussolini is freed by the Germans and, under pressure from Hitler, gives life to the Italian Social Republic) see Chiarato become active, together with other anti-fascists from Adria, in organizing the resistance.
On October 20, 1943, Chiarato and Professor Mariano Coletti, already identified as anti-fascists, were approached by a character who, under the (false) name of Ignazio Costa, introduced himself as a partisan who had fled north from central Italy, showing himself to be aware of initiatives in opposition to the Nazi-fascists, and offering to provide further information in order to organize the resistance. In reality, he was a hitman who, in agreement with the fascist prefect of Rovigo, aimed to eliminate the opponents.
Chiarato and Coletti do not hide the danger, but decide to take the risk: they go to the appointment set for the evening of October 22 at the cemetery of Adria, and here the self-styled Costa fires several shots at them: both wounded, Chiarato immediately shows the most serious conditions, but does not want to be taken to the hospital: he asks to be taken to the friends of Catholic Action, who were participating in a spiritual meeting, and only later, after receiving Communion, at the insistence of the parish priest is he taken to the hospital where he dies having forgiven his murderer: "I forgive the one who hit me and I die willingly offering my life for the Church and for peace".
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