Cardinal Carlo Caffarra, Archbishop Emeritus of Bologna – recently in disagreement on Amoris Laetitia – and the Bishop of Carpi, Monsignor Francesco Cavina concelebrated Mass with Pope Francis, on his left and on his right respectively, on April 2, 2017 in the Square of Martyrs. They exchanged warmly the sign of the peace of Christ during the Mass at Carpi.
Before the Mass, the Pontiff met with the Bishops of the region and Cardinal Caffarra in the Cathedral. It was more of ‘a greeting’ than ‘meeting’ with Cardinal Caffarra, explained director of the Holy See Press Office, Greg Burke, to Zenit, referring also to their hug.
After the Mass, the Pope had lunch with the Bishops of the region and the Cardinal, the priests and the seminarians of Carpi.
Thus the visit to Carpi made possible the rapprochement between the Pope and the Cardinal, after the misunderstandings and the “dubia.”
Last week, on Saturday, March 25, 2017, the Cardinal took part in the reopening of the Cathedral, damaged by the 2012 earthquake and now restored, during the Mass presided over by the Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.
Other cardinals and archbishops wished to manifest their solidarity with Carpi by their presence, including Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco (Genoa), President of the Italian Episcopal Conference; Cardinal Giuseppe Betori (Florence); Monsignor Matteo Maria Zuppi (Bologna); Monsignor Douglas Regattieri (Cesena-Sarsina); Monsignor Massimo Camisasca (Reggio Emilia-Guastalla) and the Bishops Emeritus of Carpi, Monsignor Elio Tinti and Monsignor Bassano Staffieri.
