Rome (NEV), 26 June 2018 – This month the Methodist and Waldensian churches, divided into four territorial districts (Waldensian Valleys, Northern, Central and Southern Italy), as it is customary, through their “district conferences”, traced the pre-synodal framework. At the Synod, convened from 26 to 31 of August in Torre Pellice (TO), will appear also the themes emerged in these venues.
The topics addressed include ecumenical reports on the territory, diaconate issues, laicity in public schools, the role of young people in the community life, the relationship between preaching and new media.
All the District meetings reserved great attention to the migration issues and expressed concern for the climate of closure, racism and discrimination that grows in the country and for the construction of fear towards “the others” (migrants, foreigners, prisoners, people of the LGBT, Roma and Sinti communities).
In general, the conclusions of all the district meetings underlined solidarity with all those victims, particularly towards the victims of trafficking, and those criminalized and rejected by the recent policies enhanced by the new Italian government. They denounce the closure of harbors and the refoulements at sea, as contrary to humanitarian law and the spirit of reception that comes from the Gospel.
