July 12 -The Veneto Region embraces Karol Wojtyla in a meeting between the tourism commissioner Marino Finozzi and the president of Wigwam Clubs Italy, Efrem Tassinato. They in fact stated officially the Region’s commitment to fully support the project “The Way of Karol – European Route of Small shrines,” ameta-itinerary involving five European countries, Poland, Slovakia, Austria, Slovenia and Italy, retracing the places the Pope held dear. The path begins Wadowice, his birthplace, and reaches Rome, where he died; it is a great opportunity to relive the life of the Pope that in December will be proclaimed a saint along with another past pope with strong ties with Veneto: John XXIII. Giuseppe Roncalli, before being nominated pope, spent 5 years as Patriarch in the Venice lagoon, and his relationship of intense closeness to the people, makes him still today a “Venetian pope” in their eyes. “By embracing pope John Paul II’s geographical life path – explained Finozzi – ‘The Way of Karol’ finds in Veneto an ideal half-way point in the journey. We should not underestimate the fact that Veneto is historically and architecturally land of great testimonies of faith: every corner, mountain and Venetian street is rich in basilicas, churches, capitals and votive offerings, demonstrating the past and present importance of faith in this region. For this reason, Veneto is a popular destination for all those tourists who in the choice of holiday destination also take into account the religious aspect; the Region has added the paths of faith as a tourist product and that is why the Tassinato’s plan could have not been more welcome.” “This project also has an innovative methodology at its foundation and therefore must be considered pilot project,” said instead president Tassinato.
