“The parishes ask us to leave, we don’t bring money”

«Accompany with wisdom, support with affection”. This is a passage of the message that Pope Francis sent last August 24th to the national route of the Agesci scout leaders, (the association of Catholic scouts) which was held in Verona. Yet support for the scouts’ activities seems to be lacking in Italy’s third largest city.

A few weeks ago there‘Agesci of Naples sent one open letter to mayors and bishops of the dioceses of Naples and Pozzuoli to denounce the progressive loss of scout offices in the parishes of the area. In fact, there are many Agesci groups that have lost their headquarters, or are forced to make a long-standing pilgrimage between parishes to ask for hospitality for their activities.

Historic groups such as that of Chiaia at the Pontano Institutea structure owned by the Jesuits, which after 60 years had to leave the headquarters in Corso Vittorio Emanuele, or that of Vomero which after 40 years is preparing to leave the parish of via Aniello Falcone, Vomero district, of the Franciscan friars. The reason, as they tell Fanpage.it, is always the same, religious orders and parishes need to generate income from their real estate and scouts do not “bring money”. Instead of the very young teenagers who should be supported, there is space for more profitable activities, especially those linked to tourism and hospitality.

The removal from the headquarters of the Jesuits and Franciscans

The situation is truly alarming according to Agesci, the main organization of Catholic scouts which in Naples has 13 groups for a total of around 1,000 children hosted in their activities and over 200 adult volunteers. The work of training, education and support for the growth of AGESCI in Naples has a very long history. Entire generations were trained in their adolescence by Catholic groups that have always been based on volunteering. «For some time now, but especially in the last year, we have encountered a lot of difficulties in finding adequate spaces where we can carry out our activities with the kids» he explains to Fanpage.it, Cristiano SalvioAgesci manager of Naples. «In the last year two of the most historic groups were invited to leave their headquarters, that of Chiaia and Vomero» he underlines.

The historic headquarters of the Chiaia scouts has been in the Pontano Institute in Corso Vittorio Emanuele for 60 yearsa private comprehensive institute, owned by the Jesuit order, who strongly wanted the birth of the scout group in their structure. With the passing of the years and the loss of the vocation, the structure has become less and less populated by friars up to to when, about ten years ago, the order entrusted the entire building and the school activities within it to a private company that pays an annual fee, guaranteeing an income to the order «Since the private company took over our presence there has been less and less supported” he explains to Fanpage.it, Federica Donadio of the Agesci Napoli 2 scout group.

«We continued with a free loan contract that was renewed year after year – he underlines – but last year they didn’t want to renew it. We were told that for an economic reason and because this society had to give an account to the Jesuits, there was a need for these spaces that we occupied in order to put them to use”. The attempt at mediation was of no avail: «The Jesuits told us that due to internal problems they could not support us and we had to talk to the company, the company instead told us that it had to answer to the Jesuits and that we therefore had to leave» explains Donadio . Temporarily the Napoli 2 group will be hosted by the parish of via Egiziaca in Pizzofalconein a much smaller space and therefore with limited possibility of activity. But on the other hand it is already a long time for a parish to have opened its doors.

A situation very similar to the one that was created in Vomero. Here the scouts were born 40 years ago in the church of San Francesco in via Aniello Falconean important semicircular structure, with a wonderful square with a lookout over the Gulf of Naples. «In Vomero the parish dynamics have changed in these 40 years – says Cristiano Salvio – the religious order that managed that property, namely the Franciscans, gradually disposed of it». A divestment which however concerned activities directly linked to the religious confession.

Yes, because right in the structure next to the church, where the rooms occupied by the scouts were located, the “Chiostro San Francesco” hotel structure was built a few years ago. Hotel, outdoor bar, but also a place for ceremonies, from weddings to meetings. Sleeping a night at the Cloister costs at least 117 euros for a normal double room, and reaches 198 euros per night for a mini apartment. «They asked the scout group to vacate the rooms that they have managed for about 40 years» explains Salvio.

The endless pilgrimage to find hospitality

There are those among the scout groups of the city of Naples who have made pilgrimage a real characteristic of their activities. This is the case of the Napoli 13 group which he was originally born in San Giovanni a Teduccioon the eastern outskirts of the city and which today has arrived in Santa Chiara in the historic centre, after having changed many locations. The constant change of location makes it impossible to continue activities and also to care for the growth of children and adolescents. It is difficult to imagine that the parents of a little cub could move from San Giovanni to the historic center to allow the child to carry out scout activities.

«We were born in San Giovanni a Teduccio but now we are in Santa Chiara – he tells Fanpage.it, Giuseppe Vigo of the Agesci Napoli 13 group – we did the bulk of our activities in San Lorenzo Maggiore, next to San Gregorio Armeno, which is also a Franciscan convent. We were welcomed by the parish priest who entrusted us with a structure, then the parish priest changed and the new priest decided to use the spaces that had been assigned to us to make it a place for events and entrusted it to the bar association. So from evening to morning he asked us to leave the facility.” Here too, history repeats itself with the same characteristics, the scouts do not bring money and the religious orders need to derive an income from their real estate assets.

A situation that Fanpage.it had already shown a few months ago in the “Sfruttanapoli” investigation into B&Bs and holiday homes. «The historic center has now become an incredible attraction – underlines Vigo – tourism has led to the spread of B&B phenomenon and whatnot, so there is a hunger for space to authorize its use for these things. We are clearly not a source of income for the parishes, in fact we are a burden, because we need spaces for the children, services, often the parishes do not have these structures or prefer to use them for something else.”

“What is the priority for the parishes?”

Scouting is something that is handed down from generation to generation, and there are many parents who grew up in the scouts and who enroll their children in AGESCI activities. This is the case of Pietro Rinaldi, father of an 8 year old boy, a cub, enrolled in the Napoli 2 group, the one who had to leave the headquarters of the Pontano Institute. «First of all, I hope that my son will continue to be a scout, because it is not certain that we will succeed – he tells Fanpage.it – despite the availability of other parishes it will be much more complex. The idea that I have is that it is really difficult today in a city prey to tourism to find spaces for volunteering. Every religious body, every public body, every company makes choices that are absolutely legitimate, the fact is that we need to understand what objectives are being pursued, what are the priorities.” Meanwhile, even those who have found an alternative location thanks to the generosity of some parish priest will have to deal with insufficient space, with the need to review and remodulate the activities, continuing to engage in a work of total volunteerism.

“It’s very sad, it’s a bit like feeling unwanted” Federica Donadio comments bitterly. The letter to the mayors and bishops of the area aims to bring to light a problem that is starting to put the continuation of the scouts’ activities in the city of Naples at serious risk. «We want to highlight the situation of scout groups in the area – concludes Cristiano Salvio – we can’t afford rent, we don’t have money and we don’t ask for money, but in general in Naples the spaces dedicated to young people seem to be decreasing more and more» .