Tensions are high in Montella, where the Monastery of San Francesco in the Folloni district has become the focus of a heated debate between the Friars Minor Conventual and the municipal administration. At the heart of the dispute is a project to renovate part of the complex to create a community hospital, an initiative supported by Mayor Rino Buonopane, who is also president of the Province of Avellino.
The friars, led by the prior, Father Marcus, prevented the workers commissioned by the municipality to begin the work from entering. The Carabinieri and municipal police responded to the scene, and the friars were formally identified. The religious community views this decision as a denial of the historical and spiritual value of the site. "An outrage to the monastery's centuries-old history," declared the prior, expressing the friars' opposition to the use of part of the structure for medical purposes.
The complex is owned by the Fund for Religious Buildings and is located within the Archdiocese of Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi-Conza della Campania-Nusco-Bisaccia, led by Archbishop Pasquale Cascio. According to tradition, the site was founded about eight hundred years ago by Saint Francis of Assisi and retains strong symbolic and religious significance for the entire Irpinia region.
Mayor Buonopane disagrees, defending the project as part of a broader project to enhance the complex. The goal, the administration explains, is to make the spaces more usable while simultaneously ensuring essential healthcare in an internal area where services are often lacking. This approach aims to combine heritage protection with meeting the needs of the population.
The incident immediately sparked debate outside the convent. Numerous faithful flocked to Folloni to express their support for the friars, while the minority in the city council harshly attacked the mayor. "What is happening to the family of the Friars of Saint Francis is a slap in the face to the entire community and an unparalleled institutional affront from Mayor Buonopane to those who for decades have provided material and spiritual assistance and shelter to countless people," the opposition councilors stated.
The conflict remains ongoing and involves sensitive issues such as the protection of places of worship, the intended use of historic buildings, and the need to strengthen healthcare services in inland areas. A conflict that, between history, faith, and concrete needs, is destined to be debated for a long time to come.
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Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
I find the issue complex and delicate, but I believe the renovation could benefit the community. However, the monastery's historical value cannot be ignored. A balance must be struck between health care needs and the protection of sacred places.