Monsignor Francesco Soddu has been infected. And is happy about it. Soddu, born in 1959, comes from Sassari in Sardinia. From 2012 to 2021 he was National Director of Caritas Italy. At the end of October, Pope Francis appointed Soddu bishop of the diocese of Terni in the central Italian region of Umbria. He received his episcopal ordination in early January in the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. His motto was “In omnibus caritas” (“In all charity”). It suits his last job as well as his new one.
Terni is about 100 kilometers north of Rome. With around 110,000 inhabitants, Terni is the second largest city in Umbria, after Perugia. In the 19th century, a substantial steel industry developed in the wide valley of the Nera, which still exists today, which earned Terni the nickname “Italian Manchester”.
Bishop Soddu has no time to settle in quietly. Especially these days there is a lot to do. Because the most important festival of the year is coming up in Terni: the Festa di San Valentino on February 14th. Saint Valentine is the city’s patron saint. His bones lie in the glass altar of the Basilica di San Valentino. Every year on Valentine’s Day the relics are carried in a procession through Terni.
Infected by the spirit of love Ternis
There are different traditions about the historical figure of Saint Valentine. Sometimes there is talk of a Valentino di Terni, sometimes of a Valentino di Roma. There is some evidence that it is one and the same person who was born in Terni, ancient Interamna. The miracle-healing bishop of early Christianity converted and baptized many people in ancient Rome, married couples in a Christian way and gave the newlyweds flowers. Their marriages are said to have always been harmonious and long-lasting. Because Valentin violated the prohibitions of the then Emperor Claudius II, he was sentenced to death. He was martyred by beheading on February 14, 269. His burial place is said to have been on the spot where the basilica was later built. Because of its “Saint of Lovers” Terni claims to be the “City of Love” – admittedly not the only city. In Italy alone, the competition is considerable, from Venice to Verona to Florence.
In any case, he “liked to be infected” by the spirit of Terni’s love, says Bishop Soddu. “I experience my first Valentine’s Day in Terni as a promise of marriage to the church of which I became bishop just a month ago.” The diocese has developed an extensive program for the spiritual celebration of Valentine’s Day. It has the motto: “I take care of you: the care of interpersonal, spiritual, socio-sanitary and ecological relationships”. In addition to early and late masses, prayer services and the procession with Valentine’s bones, the “Festa della Promessa” is a highlight. On Saturday, around four dozen engaged couples promised Bishop Soddu in the basilica that they would say yes before the end of the year.
Unlike the diocese with its saint, the city of Terni has sometimes struggled with its patron saint. This is also due to the “anti-clerical attitude” that characterizes the workers of the steelworks as well as the business people of Terni, says Arnaldo Casaldi, author of the historical novel “In the footsteps of Valentine”. In addition, a few years ago there was a serious case of embezzlement at City Hall in connection with the planning of events for Valentine’s Day. But now they are trying in Terni to “revive the wasted potential of the many beautiful legends surrounding Valentin”.
“Days of Feeling”
The new attempt can also be understood as an attempt to let Terni step out of the shadows a little. The chocolate confectionery “Baci Perugina” was invented in Perugia 100 years ago, something like the international trademark of the Umbrian capital. With the “Umbria Jazz” and “Eurochocolate” festivals, further formats to promote tourism have been created in the university town since the 1970s. In Orvieto and in Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis, the sublime old towns and the famous cathedrals are tourist magnets in their own right. Terni, however, which had been heavily bombed during the Second World War because of its steel works, had a kind of Cinderella existence in the region’s tourism.
It may be a stroke of luck for Valentine’s Day 2022 in Terni that Italy is experiencing a post-pandemic mood. The mask requirement outdoors was lifted on Friday, and the government intends to announce further relaxation steps soon. At the “Valentine’s Marathon” on February 6th, after a forced pandemic break last year, a record number of runners gasped across the finish line through a pink heart. Almost 100 events are on the program until the end of March, from concerts and theater to discussions and readings to exhibitions and tastings. Nothing but “days of feeling”, as the subtitle of the festival promises.
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