"CHURCH OPEN» (twelfth episode) - the valuable work of catechists and CATECHISTIC DURING EMERGENCY coronavirus

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We offer our readers this valuable new video of our esteemed brother John Zanchi, priest of the Diocese of Arezzo, so that it can also serve as an effective and wise antidote to all those who unfortunately, at this time of extraordinary crisis and emergency, They have nothing better to do than argue, often in harsh and aggressive tone, against decisions taken by our bishops for safety reasons to protect public health: suspend the sacred celebrations and in many cases close the churches. Recall that the Church, during crises and emergencies, It has never been saved by the controversy of those who stand for all time the most faithful among the faithful or to the purest of the pure, but the unit. Someone has written these days that "the bishops are committing suicide the Italian Church". Unfortunately he did not understand anything of the essence of the Catholic faith: the church “if suicidal” attacking the bishops, instead follow them and support them in a moment of so severe test.

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VIDEO SHOOTING AND ASSEMBLY BY THE ISSUER TELESANDOMENICO (AREZZO)

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TEXT OF THE VIDEO

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The texts of Father John Zanchi, director of the Pastoral Center Divine Worship of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arezzo-Cortona-Sansepolcro, They are not meant as articles but as audio-narrative texts. We proceeded to transcribe audio text for our Readers.

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John Zanchi

Welcome to the twelfth episode of Open Church.

The purpose of this modest book It is always the same: help you understand that The church remains opened and operating, as well as possible, even during the emergency of pandemic; the churches of stone and brick remained open although with difficulty frequented by individual believers, are the sign.

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Today I will simply mention to another sector of the Church which continues to operate with creativity to the glory of God and the sanctification of souls; I speak of catechists, which persist throughout Italy to collaborate with the bishops, pastors and parents in the catechetical ministry, devising new ways of working with children, the boys, young people and adults in their care and continue for them and with them the catechetical formation of faith.

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Nobody talks about it almost and actually vacuous today's common mentality does not give importance to education in the faith; but considering that the activity of the Holy Church is expressed in the three major dimensions of catechesis, the liturgy and charity, one understands what is in fact essential that even in the emergency caused by the pandemic catechetical work is not interrupted and continues as possible.

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In this time in which students can not go to school, rightly we are concerned to continue in some way the study and many teachers, not only of the University, They shall endeavor to ensure the continuity of teaching, imparting lessons to students through the means of social communication. In this period in which the catechism students can not go to Parish, also many catechists seek to achieve their catechized otherwise. We know that the catechetical method not simply mirrors that of school learning, but there are however some similarities between the two, in this situation united by the use of distance learning.

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Let's take some examples: First, we note that from Monday to Saturday TV2000, the television channel ever published by the Italian bishops, broadcasts in 2 several times the book Dear Jesus. With the children: a daily catechism strip dedicated to the age group from 8 to the 12 year old. Then point out the Internet portal that the Italian Bishops' Conference has opened to inform on the initiatives of the Church in the time of a pandemic and called Who shall separate us? [cf WHO]; There are some "best practices" started to distance from many dioceses and Christian communities to meet emergency catechetical. There is something for everyone: ranging from proposals designed primarily for catechesis in the family as a whole, the classical catechesis with children, boys, adolescents and young, including people with disabilities, experiences celebratory family, up to the comments to the Word of God for adults. Finally, remember the simple parish catechists everywhere, not rise to the headlines, endeavor to spread videos and texts.

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Who wants to continue to catechism then he spoiled for choice and we hope you take advantage of it as many people as possible, profitably using the time of forced domestic confinement. With the catechetical creativity of these days, the Open Church and continues to be close to Christian parents who, never forget, They are the original, and their first catechists of their children.

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Finally we need to remember a particular category of catechized, ie catechumens, ie the non-baptized adults who are preparing to become Christians; among them, There are many foreigners living in our country and this reminds us that the most important form of social integration is the religious.

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Lent is an important liturgical time for all Christians and particularly for catechumens, which the First Sunday of Lent were elected to receive the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist at the next Easter Vigil. During Lent were then to receive the great preparatory catechesis, exorcisms, deliveries of the Our Father and the Creed, the pre-baptismal anointing.

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Unfortunately in this situation this is not possible and also their Christian initiation through the sacraments is postponed until better times, hopefully no later than the next Pentecost. But in the meantime the church remained opened for them, and every diocese continues to ensure its spiritual formation as possible, according to the information disseminated by the National Catechetical and conveniently be consulted on the internet [cf WHO].

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With this television program So we want to help to signal the commitment of families, of the parish priests and catechists who, under the guidance of Bishops, in this time of great difficulty, continue with dedication and creativity in keeping the Open Church well as in the field of catechesis. These zealous ministers of Holy Church are a sign of hope in the present and an essential resource for the challenging future that awaits us as a Christian community.

A resent the next episode of Open Church.

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Sansepolcro (Arezzo), 31 March 2020

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NOTICE TO READERS

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