Milan. The Agreement for the ‘Rooms of silence’ signed with the Municipality

The Protestant churches joined the initiative of the Municipality of Milan: institutions, religious authorities and associations for the diffusion of places of multi-faith worship and of non-denominational reflection, within public structures

Immagine tratta dalla galleria fotografica del Comune di Milano

Rome (NEV), June 15, 2019 – The collaboration agreement for the promotion of the ‘Rooms of silence’ was signed in Milan on 5 June.
“The Municipality of Milan, which promoted the pact and coordinated the activities, is committed to sponsor the spreading of places of multi-faith worship and of non-denominational reflection in its reception facilities”, reads the initiative’s press release. Goal of the project is the endorsement of a “culture of freedom for multi-faith religious and non-denominational spiritual assistance” in structures of the National Health System providing personal services (ASP), and, in perspective, in prevention and punishment institutes, in railway stations and airports. On the go studies, seminars, conventions, events and the stipulation of further collaboration agreements.
The signature was affixed in the Council Hall of Palazzo Marino by representatives of the Municipality of Milan and by 19 religious and non-denominational organizations, and other associations. Among the signatories we recall pastor Daniela Di Carlo of the Waldensian Evangelical Church of Milan, Patrizia Bertesi of the Methodist Church, pastor Cristina Arcidiacono of the Evangelical Baptist Church in Via Jacopino da Tradate, Analou de Pinho of the Baptist Church in Via Pinamonte from Vimercate,  pastor Nino Plano for the Italian Union of the Seventh-day Adventist Christian Churches (UICCA).
The agreement  was also signed, among others, by the Union of Atheists and Agnostic Rationalists (UAAR), the Jewish Community of Milan, the Italian Islamic religious community (CO.RE.IS.) , the Hindu Union Milan Dharma Seva, the Islamic Cultural Community Milli Gorus (U.CO.I.) and the Islamic Association of Milan, Mariam Mosque (U.CO.I.), the Bahá’i Local Spiritual Assembly in Milan, the Maytreia Foundation, the Indian Sikh Community of Italy, Brahma Kumaris, Zoe Pentecostal Mission, the Russian Orthodox Church, the Manos Sin Fronteras associations, the Nomadic Opera section of Milan.

The project continues a path started over a year ago with a conference on the subject, followed by last December 23 resolution with which the Milanese council approved the promotion of the “rooms of silence”, spaces dedicated to meditation, reflection and prayer to be made available to all citizens, atheists or belonging to a religious confession. The next steps concern the preparation of a regulation that governs the use of the first two rooms, foreseen within the Milanese Martinitt and Stelline institutes, the Pious Trivulzio Hotel and Golgi-Redaelli, also with regards to religious and moral assistance, custody, preparation, maintenance and care of the spaces.