Church, husband and wife will lead the parish in Rimini

Husband and wife at the helm of a parish. It happens in Rimini where the bishop Lambiasi, to cope with the absence of the parish priest in the parish of Misano Monte, has appointed deacon Davide Carroli and his psychotherapist wife Cinzia Bertuccioli as “pastoral referents”. “We are not deputy parish priests, – the deacon’s wife explains to Adnkronos – we will not be alternates: we are a diaconal family at the service of a parish with the specification of charity, of being close to the poor, of the liturgy and of service to the ‘altar. The priest is other ”. The couple, highly esteemed in the area where they also manage a family home, have actually been carrying out these functions for some time, practically since they got married, but now that the parish priest, Don Angelo Rubaconti has taken a period of rest and reflection. , they will manage the community of faithful. “We were asked – explains Cinzia – to be the reference point for this parish of Misano Monte which is part of a pastoral area in our municipality coordinated by Don Giuseppe Vaccarini”. service at the altar: “We try to stay close to the people, to answer their questions, what we would like to do is listen, especially in the early days even though we have actually been in this parish for a long time. This appointment is part of an already rooted presence: we take care of the pastoral care of families, the preparation for marriage of young couples, the baptismal catechesis to prepare parents for baptism. we are close to families who suffer mourning. ”In detail, on the altar there will always be Cinzia’s husband who as a deacon cannot consecrate the host, nor grant forgiveness or extreme unction, all functions of a priest. “But the question – David notes – is more complex. In Italy there are already several realities of collaboration between the laity and priests. And, to say, in the pandemic with quarantined priests, I also celebrated funerals ”. What will Cinzia do? “At the moment I am being asked to be a wife, – he explains, also responding to the project of the deaconesses who have been studying for some time in the Vatican – at the moment the question of deaconesses does not concern me because I am asked to be a wife. It is the couple at the service of the parish ”. Her husband Davide adds: “There is already a beautiful underlining of the universal Church which has instituted the ministry of the catechist. It is very useful especially in Latin American countries where there is a shortage of priests. But to date, I believe that taking drastic positions might not help. The institution of a ministry is already a very useful thing. ”David and Cinzia have already been referents of the parish for some time, so tomorrow it will not be a baptism of the investiture. “Tomorrow – says Cinzia – we will do what we did every Sunday. My husband will take care of the altar service I will be among the faithful with our children. We guarantee that a priest comes to celebrate mass every Sunday and David serves at the altar with the priest. If once we don’t find the parish priest, David will hold the Liturgy of the Word ”.