Cardinal Betori visiting for 3 months in the historical center

With Vespers on Sunday to 18,30 in the Basilica of the Santissima Annunziata, Archbishop of Florence, Cardinal Giuseppe Betori officially opened the Vicariate Pastoral Visit to St. John's, which includes the parishes of the historical center of Florence, between the Arno and the main ring.

"The Vicariate of St. John - wrote the Vicar Father Mario Scalici – awaits his pastor because its presence, with his word and his testimony back to revive charity, to confirm our faith and make firm our hope. Parishes will have this meeting with the Archbishop the expected boost to continue on the path that calls us to be in the territory through the houses of men ".

From 6 al 12 October, Visitation will touch the parish of the Holy Apostles and Biagio; will then be the turn of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Santa Maria Novella, Santissima Annunziata, San Remigio, Santa Lucia, Sant'Ambrogio, San Lorenzo where there will be, Sunday 14 December, the closing Mass.

The calendar also includes a number of meetings with operators Vicarial catechesis and liturgy, with the men and women religious, operators of charity.

A first meeting will take place on Monday, 27 October at 21 at the Parish of S. Ambrose and will bring together operators of catechesis and liturgy and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion.

The following day, Tuesday, 28 October, always at 21 in the Parish of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Archbishop meets all those who work in the rich and varied world of charity.

Wednesday 29 October, the Cardinal Betori instead chair a moment of prayer with the men and women religious and members of institutes of consecrated life at 16,30 in the picturesque setting of the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella.

While on the same day, at 21, organized the meeting is reserved for the world youth, students and workers, who find themselves in via Martelli in the Church of St. John the Scolopi pm 21.

After the last reorganization, launched and presented to the press on June 8 2010, il numero delle parrocchie del Vicariato di San Giovanni è stato ridotto a 8, anche se non tutte le parrocchie hanno, After 5 years, completed the path for the new administrative structure.

A curiosity: to date, only two of the eight parishes of the vicariate entrusted to the diocesan clergy.

Among the great basilicas, do service to the parish Santa Maria Novella, the Santissima Annunziata, San Lorenzo.

Then there are the parishes of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, of St. Ambrose and St. Joseph (unified with the latest reorganization), Saint Lucia sul Prato, San Remigio, Holy Apostles and Biagio.

On the territory there is also the presence of numerous religious communities, while some churches retain the title of rectories and are aimed at various pastoral areas, by the arrival of foreign Catholic communities to campus ministry.

From time, for many years, si discuteva su come riorganizzare un servizio pastorale che fino al giugno 2010 era articolato su 22 parishes for only 31.000 residents about.

Some of these parishes were really insignificant entity: the smallest had just 84 in, but not a few loitering around 200.

More than the quantitative data, disturbed, however, the finding that several of these parishes, even those with some 1.000 in, being now their population aged strongly, were no longer able to perform a normal life Parish, in particular for the administration of the sacraments and catechetical courses for children, limited in effect to little more than a proposal, even excessive in number, celebrations of Masses.

Instead remained unanswered religious needs of a typical downtown sparsely populated, place of work, however, of many people, full of visitors and tourists.

It was therefore felt compelled to, already under the episcopate of Cardinal Antonelli, ripensare l’offerta pastorale in questo territorio, giving more attention to religious needs expressed by non-residents, taking the opportunity to provide places of worship and community life to the Catholic communities of immigrants, to devote some space to the liturgical celebrations in the main languages ​​of tourist flows, to highlight some dimensions of the Christian life in a spiritual or cultural.

From the point of view of the care of residents, it was decided to form regional and local entities that gather into a suitable number of persons, such as to ensure the conditions for performing the main activities Parish Pastoral.

Si è così giunti a individuare le nuove 8 parishes.

THE 3 months to visit the territory of Cardinal Betori, with direct meetings with the different realities, soprattutto estranee al normale ambito parrocchiale, with particular attention to the business and charitable, refers to the letter in June 2010 Archbishop wrote to all residents of the center to explain the new reorganization of parishes.

This is the full text of the Cardinal's letter of June Betori 2010 in which he explained to the residents of the historic center of Florence the new reorganization / reduction of parishes:

Dear,

for a more effective presence of the Church in the historic center of Florence, it is necessary to make some decisions, involving news about the function of the centers of worship in this area. This is not a quite new, as the city's history shows how, in succession and in changing times, the diocese has repeatedly changed the structure of pastoral service, in particular by creating and abolishing parishes depending on the needs of the population.

Today we are faced with one of these turning, having to take note that not a few of the many parishes of the Vicariate, because of the demographic changes that have occurred at the level, are no longer able to live a effective pastoral action. Hence RECOGNIZING the opportunity to decrease the parish centers active in the historical center of Florence, creating agglomerates large enough to be able to give support to all the activities that give a face made to a parish.

I am aware that this may also impact on the feelings of many of you, related to their own parish family stories even from long centuries. But the good of souls, which is the supreme law of the Church, requires all of us to all decisions involving sacrifices. It should also be borne in mind that the new structure provides that no worship center is closed, but only directed to a different form of service to the Church and to the people. As has happened often in the past, some parishes will have to open their views to a wider territory, other churches, now incorporated in rectories or similar legal figures, will assume a new role for the cultural growth, spiritual, charitable throughout the Archdiocese and to meet the religious needs of new citizens or the many tourists who pass through these streets and squares of Florence.

I wanted to accompany this letter already with accurate information about the new arrangements territorial, but the restructuring plan is just the beginning. Right now they are only identified the parishes and their territories in broad terms; then be necessary to make the decrees of changes to the legal right of other churches so that they can continue to perform their liturgical service in the new pastoral purpose; Finally, we will have to change the boundaries of the parishes. When everything is ready, we will not fail to give ample notice. In the meantime, for those who have any questions, our priests and the archdiocese are at your disposal.

I ask you to share with generosity and farsightedness of the decisions to be taken and to collaborate with priests and religious who will guide the implementation. All cordially bless, with the hope that this step of our community life also marks a growth in faith and Christian witness.

Frank Mariani

By the number 33 – The Year of 1/10/2014