Pope Francis is set to visit Venice on Sunday, April 28, surprising many with this unexpected announcement. The visit follows the Triveneto bishops' recent trip to Rome, led by Patriarch Francesco Moraglia, who met with the Pope on Friday, just a week after their periodic "Visita ad limina apostolorum" after an 11-year gap. While a visit to Verona had previously been announced for Saturday, May 18, this sudden announcement reveals that the Pope's first visit to the Veneto region will be in Venice, three weeks earlier. The program will include a tour of the Holy See Pavilion at the Art Biennale, a visit to the women's prison on Giudecca, and a meeting with the Ecclesial Community of the Patriarchate of Venice.
Art for Human Rights
This historic event marks Pope Francis as the first pontiff to visit an Art Biennale, specifically the Vatican Pavilion located within the historic women's prison. Father Antonio Spadaro, Undersecretary at the Vatican Dicastery for Culture, highlights that the Biennale theme, "Strangers Everywhere," and the Vatican Pavilion's theme, "With My Own Eyes," are dear to Pope Francis. The Vatican Pavilion's theme draws inspiration from the Pope's call to go out and observe, focusing on human rights, concern for the marginalized, and those worlds seldom seen. Stories related to the hunger for life and love, expressed through art as a mirror of the soul, will be presented. The significant location of the Vatican Pavilion on Giudecca, hosted by the prison community, aligns with the Pope's closeness to prisoners. He will meet with the detainees, as they act as guides for the Pavilion, adding a human touch to the visit.
Veneto's applause
This marks Pope Francis's presence in the Veneto region twice within three weeks, ending a wait of over ten years. From a formal perspective, the sequence seems orthodox, as the Pope will first visit the Patriarchate and then the strong diocese of Verona, led by Bishop Domenico Pompili, who is close to him. Governor Luca Zaia expresses the Venetians' sentiments, stating, "We will be delighted to welcome Pope Francis among us with a warm and emotional welcome. With excitement, we await him in Venice, a symbolic city that encapsulates our entire history as a community with deep Christian roots, always characterized by great openness to the world. We welcome Pope Bergoglio with open arms on this occasion that will leave an indelible memory, and I thank Patriarch Francesco Moraglia for his commitment to making it happen." Zaia immediately echoes the Vatican's social message: "The Pope's arrival is an opportunity to reaffirm once again that connection that passes from Saint Mark through the figures of Saint Pius X, Saint John XXIII, and Blessed John Paul I.
Also, with the visit to the Biennale, to offer the Pontiff a true snapshot of that Veneto where identity is never self-contained but a constant search for dialogue between different cultures and artistic forms."
Charity and culture
Monsignor Moraglia immediately emphasizes another message: "It is a visit with a common thread: charity and culture. And we think of building an event in which young people can be protagonists."
Mayor Luigi Brugnaro adds, "A historic day, a visit that fills me with joy and gratitude. It will strengthen the values of peace, freedom, democracy, and diplomacy of our city and our community, historically dedicated to hospitality and dialogue among peoples of different cultures, languages, and religions." "Whether believers or not, Pope Francis is an extraordinary reference for this time," highlights Andrea Martella, regional secretary of the Democratic Party. Antonio De Poli, leader of Veneto UDC, concludes, "Pope Francis's visit to Venice will mark a historic and important moment for the Veneto, which has always had solidarity and attention to others in its DNA."
(Gdv, mercoledì 14 febbraio)