Having quickly archived the cold and cerebral Joseph Ratzinger, Italian media and politicians, not to mention public opinion, have been enthusiastically hailing pope Francis, by most considered a “new” pope, herald of a different style of Church management, with his humble image and sensitivity to ordinary people. It must be said, he didn’t have to face such a tremendous challenge in gaining more popularity than his predecessor, but the press has already overwhelmed us with comments on his not-so-flashy cross,… Read more »
Rome, public transport for evangelization
A church losing out to secularism, a shaky Mayor aiming at a second term and a controversial transport company. What have these things in common? An evangelization strategy burdening a badly strapped-for-cash municipality, namely Rome. On the occasion of Pope Francis’s inauguration, on Tuesday March 19th, Rome’s mayor, Gianni Alemanno, decided, in agreement with the Prefect and the Police Commissioner, to allow free travel on the underground system from 5:30 am to 2:00 pm, tapping into the Prime Minister’s funds…. Read more »
The Catholics’ political space in the new Italian Parliament
The silver lining of an extremely cloudy governmental situation that after an ambiguous electoral result still shows no clear perspectives for a sustainable majority is that the emerged parliament is by far the most secular we’ve had in Italy for decades. While our association, UAAR, has applauded this ‘anomaly’, the leading Catholic magazine Famiglia Cristiana has voiced its preoccupation for “an Italy where Catholics are still relegated to a marginal role”, given the modest result of the post-Christian Democratic coalition… Read more »
Flop of the “Hope Loan”
The so-called “Hope Loan”, which was boastfully announced two years ago by the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) and emphatically advertised by the media, (see Ultimissima 31st March 2009) did not work out: no more than 150 families benefited from it in 2010. The stats were revealed by the National Daily Press Agency ASCA, according to which the criteria to obtain the loan will be revised in order to make it more accessible. It will be extended to businesses and it won’t be restricted to families with three children,… Read more »
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