Martini was a daring man; he constantly invited contradiction and provocation of the conscience, Christian or otherwise. His mission lay in this prophetic-eschatological approach. Never arrogant or patronising, Martini commanded authority, both in his persona and in what he said.

In the years marked by terrorism, he spoke with a firm and clear voice on behalf of a city paralysed by the fear that terror would overcome the State and dismayed by a generalised lack of a firm stance. His calm and reassuring voice also spoke to the heart.

Martini’s intelligence is open and never dogmatic.

You need to be like the morning watchman, who looks beyond and sees the arrival of dawn