La ventennale del Crocifisso di Pieve di Cento

12PORTE - September 24, 2020: There was much emotion in Pieve di Cento, where last Sunday the twentieth anniversary of the Crucifix was held, a great demonstration of faith and devotion around the venerated and dramatic image of the Redeemer. The origins of this festival are deeply tied to the history of this area, characterized by "Partecipanza Agraria," a practice that dates back to the 13th century and continues to this day. Essentially, it is the shared ownership by the ancient families of Pieve of a vast territory, which over the centuries was reclaimed and reclaimed from the marshes. Its usufruct—divided into parts or capi—is redistributed every 20 years by drawing lots. The Crucifix, venerated for centuries in the Collegiate Church of Pieve, is granted the first capo because it is unanimously considered the father and heart of the community and the Centopievese territory. Only on the twentieth anniversary does the Crucifix leave the Collegiate Church and walk through the streets of the town, although in 2012, as images from our archive show, the venerated image—having escaped the collapse of the dome caused by the earthquake—was evacuated to the Magi Museum, where it remained for several months. On that occasion, the then parish priest, Don Paolo Rossi, wanted the Crucifix to proceed lying down, waiting for this year's celebration to see it proceed upright, as tradition dictates. In the presence of Cardinal Matteo Zuppi and the current parish priest, Don Angelo Lai, the Crucifix thus met the 2020 deadline to walk the streets of Pieve di Cento, with two notable variations from tradition: the first is that the Christ was not carried on shoulders, but mounted on a firefighter's vehicle, also as a tribute to this corps that did so much during the earthquake; The second is that due to the health emergency, only the clergy were able to participate in the procession, while the faithful waited from their homes or followed from the square via video link. The beautiful Church of Pieve di Cento, enriched with works of art, particularly by Guercino, a native of this land, is still a collegiate church today, that is, a church home to a community of priests called canons, who for centuries were entrusted with the pastoral care of the entire area. Today, the canons are the parish priests of neighboring communities or priests originally from or connected to the Pieve. During this year's celebrations, Don Federico Badiali, Don Gianluca Busi, Monsignor Alberto Di Chio, Don Giancarlo Martelli, Don Giovanni Mazzanti, Don Adriano Pinardi, and Don Fortunato Ricco were added to the chapter as statutory canons. Many legends relate to the origins of this devotion to the Crucifix of Pieve, linked primarily to the dark times between the 14th and 15th centuries when this borderland singularly suffered the rivalries of various dominions and the consequences of the Western Schism. A movement of spiritual renewal arose around the Crucifix, aiming for a life of penitential conversion and fraternal charity. Today, the Crucifix of Pieve attracts many devotees, even from outside the diocese. Fridays in March are special occasions for pilgrimage and veneration of this sign of God's love and faithfulness to his people.