Ecclesial Communities of the Future. Two Examples in Comparison

Authors

  • Sandro Pittini Architect

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.60923/issn.2036-1602/22964

Keywords:

resilience, adaptation, dismission, polycentrism, aggregation

Abstract

Our ecclesial communities are a reflection of the heavenly city on earth; will they have the sensitivity and courage to first recognise, and then discern, the main issues of our contemporary world? To answer this question, the theme of the Ecclesia futuri must be urgently addressed: a community of Christians in step with the times, attentive to the profound transformations brought about by society as a whole, from a perspective of integral ecology. One of the most significant challenges concerns the territorial reorganisation of dioceses, with the reduction in the number of parishes as a possible, if not the only, solution to the crucial problem of an increasingly declining and aging clergy. Merging parishes is an action that allows for the rationalization of the number of ministers in a larger reference territory, concentrating efforts and resources. This assumption raises two questions: on the one hand, there is a need to expand, update, and redefine the parish complex; on the other, the abandoned space of the churches no longer belonging to the parish needs to be managed. A second theme concerns the fundamental role that a parish center plays within urban dynamics: a fundamental hub in a polycentric city, but also a place of community aggregation, a social reference point and a driving force for activities both inside and outside parish life. In support of these observations, two built examples are presented: the church of Santo Stefano di Rualis and the Parish Centre of Carbonera.

Published

2025-10-20

How to Cite

Pittini, S. (2025). Ecclesial Communities of the Future. Two Examples in Comparison . IN_BO. Ricerche E Progetti Per Il Territorio, La Città E l’architettura, 16(20), 184–197. https://doi.org/10.60923/issn.2036-1602/22964