Friendship

I did not personally know the Arch. José António Saraiva, former director of Expresso, founder of the weekly Sol, a brave and lucid journalist who marked the written press in recent decades, who died just over a month ago. We never talked to, not even over the phone, but we changed almost a hundred emails over fifteen years. Among so many written words is it acceptable to say that we were friends? Relatively, maybe! After all when talking about friendship what it is about?

Vulgarily runs an alleged quote from Thomas Aquinas’ theological theological that defines « friends as those who want the same things and reject the same things, » that is, follow the same ways under the same values. This criterion for so absolutely and uniformly simplistic before the mental elaboration recognized to the Holy Philosopher has all appearance, but certainty, an artificial copy out of context. It would be enough to intrude on that statement of the sameness coincident between friends the diversity or opposition between temperaments and circumstances, and then the broth would easily be spilled, goodbye friendship with its wounds and scars.

The closest to that phrase perhaps deviated is in question 28, Art. 2 of the so-called Suma, in which the goods and evils of the friend are considered, both wills affected by the same good or even evil being, therefore, ‘proper to friends rejoice and sadden with the same things.’ There is the subtle difference, that is, there are autonomous lives, and if good friendship imposes a common final cause does not necessarily imply the same formal cause, much less efficient, friends can diverge into the means and ways to converge in the same purpose. Thus are perceived the words of St. Paul to the Christians of Corinth: «There is diversity of gifts, but the Spirit is the same; There is diversity of services, but the Lord is the same.

In ethics Nichemaco Aristotle teaches the excellence of the righteous environment and friendship occupies, not by chance, two of the ten books that form the work. In the eighth distinguishes three reasons that lead to friendship between two people: the usefulness of goods that can result for both of them, the delected conviviality and mutual pleasure and, finally, the perfect friendship between « good men who are friends of others for what others are », that is, « they want for friends the good they want for themselves. » It is easy to see the usefulness in dubious business friendship, pleasure in the changing youthfulness of passions and, finally, the mature friendship in those who resemble respect for the good in excellence. This friendship is for a few because few want the greatest good. Here, the philosopher adds that in this friendship, as perfect as it is rare, « it takes time and complicity » for, says the proverb, « it is not possible that two people know each other without having eaten together the same amount of salt. » This was the essential part that was missing in my supposed friendship with José António Saraiva. Without fraternal salt at the table and outside it, without the salt of life that tempered tastes and dislikes there are no friends who can be brown in time and complicity. And I confess, I’m sorry.

Weekly and over nearly two decades I have always read the sun always starting with the two texts of José António Saraiva: in serious politics the style was clear and right, sober and assertive, in living to tell there was plastic ductility in running mode by savoring life in disassessed never surrender to politically correct. It was this incorrect that enchanted me sprinkling salt in the insons, putting my finger on the wound and of that my emails realized him. This man exerted an almost lonely idealism to which many will call Quixotic. If one day they read what Unamuno de Quixote says might realize the idiocy they suffer. Instead I always saw in saraiva healthy respect for the creative reality that constitutes the world, hence its love for the truth, the veneration for freedom, its and that of others. How many are out there to present themselves worthy and with the face of courage on the eternal portal of death, in serious life? I am very sorry for the salt that we do not eat together, I pray that God will have it.