Transport, traffic, medical care and
security were among the issues discussed by government, city and
regional officials at a planning meeting Tuesday in view of the
Catholic Church's extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy beginning
December 8.
"The government and local institutions agreed on the need
to speed up delineation of the actions - in the first instance
legal and financial - needed to get the organisational machine
moving quickly," the executive said in a statement.
Government undersecretary Claudio De Vincenti, Rome Mayor
Ignazio Marino, Lazio Regional Governor Nicola Zingaretti, Rome
Prefect Franco Gabrielli and representatives of the economy
ministry all attended the meeting.
Marino said the "minimalist" interventions needed to begin
by early June at the latest to enable the city to be ready in
time to receive the millions of pilgrims expected for the
extraordinary Holy Year.
These include patching up the asphalt on main roads,
creating park and ride facilities in outlying areas and
introducing special transport links between areas of worship and
the catacombs, including bicycle and pedestrian routes, Marino
said.
"The Vatican has asked specifically for the creation of
bicycle and pedestrian routes," the mayor explained.
"The Holy Father would be pleased if many of the people
arriving in Rome could complete the last part of their journey
on foot like real pilgrims," Marino continued.
Restoring and reactivating the final section of ancient
pilgrimage routes such as the Via Francigena leading from
Canterbury to Rome and redeveloping the areas around Rome's main
basilicas are also on the list of things to do, the mayor said.
Rome authorities have also asked for the rules governing
local spending under the domestic stability pact to be loosened
to cover the necessary expenditure.
Francis announced the special Jubilee year to begin
December 8 and end November 20, 2016 on the second anniversary
of his election last March to underscore a central spiritual
theme of his pontificate.
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