Political violence continues in Italy with the shooting on Thursday (11 May) of a Milan banker, Marzio Astarita, a Vice-President of the American Chemical Bank. The shooting came as mourners were paying their last respects to the former Italian Premier Aldo Moro whose body, riddled by Red Brigades bullets, was found by police on Tuesday (9 May).

SYNOPSIS: Complying with Mr. Moro's own wished, written during the 54 days he was held captive by Red Brigades guerrillas who kidnapped and killed him, the family refused to allow authorities to give him a state funeral. Instead he was buried in a small country village north of Rome, Torrita Tiberina, where he had a country villa.

The Italian Minister for Tourism, Mr. Carlo Pastorino, was among those who later paid his respects. In line with the mood of the Moro family, a former Prime Minister, Amintore Fanfani, who'd rushed uninvited to the funeral, held earlier, arrived late and had the cemetery gates locked in his face. None of Mr. Moro's political colleagues were invited to the funeral. The Interior Minister Francesco Cossiga resigned, over the failure to rescue Mr. Moro.

Meanwhile it was announced on Friday (12 May) that the Pope would attend a state memorial service for Aldo Moro to be held on Saturday (13 May) in spite of the family's wished. Mrs. Moro said she and her children would not be attending the service. However, it was reported that Mr. Moro's brother and sister would probably be present at the Requiem Mass to be held at the Saint John Lateran Basilica. This was seen as a compromise out of respect for the Pope's unprecedented decision to join a memorial service for a layman.