Parishioners block bishop from shifting saint’s remains

Friday, February 19th, 2016

Parishioners at an Italian basilica formed a human barrier to prevent a bishop temporarily moving the remains of St Valentine to another church.

The bishop of Terni-Narni-Amelia, Bishop Giuseppe Piemontese, wanted to transfer the saint’s remains from San Valentino Basilica in Terni to a cathedral five kilometres away.

This was part of a Year of Mercy celebration of St Valentine’s Day on February 14 and the remains would have been returned to the basilica within days.

Bishop Piemontese was reported to have paid out of his own pocket for a specially modified car to transport the remains

But dozens of angry church-goers positioning chairs around a glass coffin containing the remains and held hands to form a human barrier against their removal.

The shouts of the protesters grew louder as Bishop Piemontese tried to explain himself.

His increasingly desperate calls for silence went unheard.

Parishioners said their town has been abandoned in recent years, falling into a state of decay.

One resident, heading to the church to protest, said they “had lost everything” and would not allow a much-loved piece of their history, as well as an important tourist attraction, to be taken from them.

“We are staying here together with our patron saint,” another protester told local Italian media.

“No-one is going to take him away.

“If they really want to do it, they’re going to have to get past us, because we’re not moving even one step backwards.”

On February 14, the remains were still at the San Valentino Basilica, in the town of St Valentine’s birth.

The remains have been at the basilica since the 17th century.

During his homily on Sunday morning, Bishop Piemontese accused protesting parishioners of behaving in an “intolerant, arrogant and disrespectful manner”.

The bishop implied there may have been other motives behind the protest, although he did not specify what these were.

Sources