Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Catholic News

Home

Home
Catholic
Religion News
A new hope: the Church of Naples after Pope Francis’ visit

A new hope: the Church of Naples after Pope Francis’ visit

Last updated on: March 24, 2015 at 6:08 am by CNA Daily News

A new hope: the Church of Naples after Pope Francis’ visit 2015-03-24T06:08:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Naples, Italy, Mar 24, 2015 / 12:08 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis’ visit to Naples on Saturday fostered the commitment of the local Church to combat corruption and to continue work on the ground that has already born much fruits in the city's peripheries, according to an official.

“Our plan now is the most challenging one: being able to reach a sort of normality in our territories,” Fr. Tonino Palmese, vicar of charity for the Archdiocese of Naples, told CNA March 23.

Fr. Palmese underscored the huge work on the ground carried forward over the course of the years by the local Church, adding, “we cannot say anymore that Scampia is the place where organized crime is rooted.”

Visiting Naples’ northern neighborhood of Scampia, Pope Francis slammed corruption and unemployment in a land sadly known for the pervasive presence of Camorra, the local organized crime group, and as the main Italian center for international drug trafficking.

However, thanks to the commitment of the local Church, the situation in Scampia has improved in the course of recent years.

Fr. Palmese explained that “during these days, I called to memory the moments of St. John Paul II’s visit to Scampia in 1990, and I found that St. John Paul II and Pope Francis may have viewed Scampia in a different way, because the scenario has changed.”

“When St. John Paul II visited Scampia, the block was fully under the control of organized crime, while Pope Francis met with an active workshop of citizens who work for the territory, so that Scampia is not a land of Camorra anymore,” Fr. Palmese stressed.

He then added that “in Scampia, parishes have worked in harmony; there is a nice communion and friendship among parish priests, and this may be of example to civil society.”

Emanuela Febbraio, 25, a practicing lawyer, was among the people who went to see the Pope in Scampia March 21.

She said that “addressing corruption and slamming unemployment, Pope Francis fully met the needs of the territory of Naples, and particularly of Scampia.”

Febbraio stressed that “Pope Francis called each of us to be responsible for the good of our city.”

As part of Renewal with the Spirit, she and a group of other Catholic young people started “a path of renewal for the city, trying to reach out to every part of the city in order to announce the Gospel, since the commitment of everyone must be rooted in Gospel.”

This is a story of ordinary life in Naples, where parishes are active to relieve the population from social exclusion and to build networks of faith and social commitment.

Fr. Marco Beltratti is the parish priest of the huge parish of Sacro Cuore in Vomero, a central Neapolitan neighborhood inhabited by diverse income groups.

“I am entrusted with a flock of 30,000 people … what I try to do is to favor the encounter among people of every social class… I try to reach out to every part of the parish, and to foster young people's need to network among themselves… and I desire that this network be built upon the personal encounter with God, so every activity is accompanied by moments of catechesis.”

Such ordinary stories of the Archdiocese of Naples are often overshadowed by the description of Naples as a crime-addicted town where there is no hope left for anyone.

Despite the difficulties, Fr. Tonino Palmese made an appeal to media.

“If we want Pope Francis’ visit to be successful, we should start to describe the good things in the territory of Naples, and quit being blinded by the problems and difficulties.”

Europe

Previous Post

March 23, 2015

A 'spiritual oasis' – Southern Arabian cathedral celebrates 50 years

Next Post

March 24, 2015 German prelate breaks rank with Cardinal Marx, insists on fidelity to Rome

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What part of the body does the Breastplate of Righteousness protect?

Select your answer to see how you score.

The head The stomach The heart The back