Rovereto awaits Benedict XVI:
'The Pope will transmit his serenity
so we too can proceed calmly and
in peace to recover and rebuild'
Translated from the Italian service of
June 26, 2012
The website of the Diocese of Carpi has dozens of photographs documenting the damage to the churches in the territory.
"We await the Pope with hope in our heart and the certainty of faith", said Mons. Francesco Cavina, Bishop of Carpi, who welcomes the Holy Father today on his visit to the earthquake zone in Emilia-Romagna.
In his diocese, only three out of 50 churches are usable and safe, but despite this, the commitment and efforts of all the priests have been great through this difficult time, the bishop said.
MONS. CAVINA: I must say that the priests have been truly heroic: they have all remained on duty with their respective flocks and many of them organized the first aid and rescue efforts. They helped them get to sports fields and any community buildings that still remained intact. And they took charge of the tent encampments that were set up spontaneously in parish grounds. This shows the trust, acknowledgment and affection of the people for their priests - the importance of the parish for them, especially for the people of the countryside, in terms of their community, social and religious life, because the parish is the only organization that exists in their life. And damage to their parish church is also a great loss to them, because it is usually the only place of beauty in the village.
When the Pope arrives, what do you expect him to say and to 'bring' to you?
First, I address my gratitude and acknowledgment to him. When I learned that the Holy Father had decided to come to Rovereto, I wept with emotion and for joy, because this shows he is truly father to all of us, that he is close to his suffering children who find themselves in truly trying conditions.
When I worked at the Secretariat of State in Rome, I was always struck by his serenity in the face of all the problems of the Church. And I think he will transmit to us this serenity during his visit - which in turn will allow us to continue in serenity and peace the long and difficult road to recovery, with the knowledge that we are not abandoned. I think the whole diocese looks upon his visit this way.
It's a gesture of great affection, and for him to do this in this torrid climate must not be easy for him. For more reason, I am grateful to him, as is the whole diocese of Carpi.
You have been bishop here for only four months. Don Ivo Martini died here along with about 15 civilians, with hundreds injured, and thousands left homeless. What has it been like for you on the personal level? [Father Martini died after he and a firefighter went inside his church in Rovereto di Novi, to recover a Virgin Mary statue after a main tremor struck at 9 am on May 29. Masonry collapsed over him when an aftershock hit while he was inside the church.]
Before the tragedy that we are now experiencing, I cannot forget that in the first two months, I lost two priests who died unexpectedly while they were doing pastoral work. That continues to be a cause for grief. I won't deny that I am feeling exhaustion from all that we have had to do since the earthquakes, but I am comforted by the affection of my priests and the faithful whom I have met during these days. Together, we shall do what we need to do.
I am thankful to Vatican Radio for allowing me the chance to say this, just as if we are all one family, and I count on the prayers of your listeners, many of whom are committed to sustain the Church with their prayers, their sacrifices and their respective apostolates.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 26/06/2012 17:20]