Rimini Meeting

Annual Catholic festival held in Italy

Meeting for Friendship Amongst Peoples

Meeting per l'amicizia fra i popoli

Theologian Paolo Benanti addressing the Rimini Meeting in 2022.

Status| Active
Genre| Religious festival
Frequency| Annually
Venue| Rimini Fiera
Location(s)| Rimini
Country| Italy
Inaugurated| 23 August 1980; 44 years ago (1980-08-23)
Attendance| 800,000 (2022)
• 80,000 in-person
• 720,000 online
Organized by| Communion and Liberation
Website| www.meetingrimini.org

The Meeting for Friendship Amongst Peoples (Italian: Meeting per l'amicizia fra i popoli), more commonly known as the Rimini Meeting (Italian: Meeting di Rimini), is an annual lay Catholic festival held every year in Rimini, Italy, in the last week of August.

Inaugurated in 1980, the Meeting is the flagship event of Communion and Liberation, an international association of the faithful.[1][2] It is a significant event in domestic politics, attracting high-profile guest speakers, and receives notable coverage in the Italian press.[3][4]

## Overview

[edit]

The Rimini Meeting is held annually in the last week of August at Rimini Fiera. The weeklong festival includes talks, debates, workshops, exhibitions, sporting, musical and literary events, and other sessions.[5][6] Each edition revolves around a theme that is chosen to inspire open reflection and dialogue.[7]

In 2022, the Rimini Meeting attracted 80,000 visitors, with a further 720,000 online attendees.[8]

### Venue and organisation

[edit]

The first edition of the Rimini Meeting took place in 1980, at the site of the old Rimini Fiera. The Meeting moved to the new Rimini Fiera after its completion in 2001.[9]

In March 2008, the Meeting for Friendship Amongst Peoples Association, which was constituted in December 1980 to organise the Meeting,[10] became a foundation.[11] Over 3,000 volunteers work during the Meeting to stage, operate, and dismantle it.[6][12]

### Political and cultural significance

[edit]

The Rimini Meeting's second edition in 1981 included a concert by RAI's orchestra directed by Piero Umiliani.[13]

The Rimini Meeting is a significant event in Italian culture and politics, often attracting high-profile guest speakers and notable press coverage.[3][4] Previous speakers include Pope John Paul II,[14] Mario Draghi,[15] Staffan de Mistura,[16] and Tony Blair.[17]

The 2022 Meeting included an early debate in the run-up to the 2022 general election and was attended by figures from major political parties: Giorgia Meloni, Matteo Salvini, Enrico Letta, Ettore Rosato, Antonio Tajani, and Carlo Calenda.[18] Ten ministers of the Meloni government attended the 2023 edition, including Salvini, Tajani, and Giancarlo Giorgetti. The President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, spoke on the final day of the Meeting.[6]

In previous years, national television channels, including the public broadcaster RAI, have broadcast some sessions of the Rimini Meeting,[19] including the Sunday Mass on Rai 1, RAI's flagship television channel.[5]

## Fraud investigation

[edit]

In December 2012, the public prosecutor's office in Rimini charged the general manager, lead administrator and an account of the Meeting for Friendship Amongst Peoples Foundation with fraud,[20][21] and seized one million euros from the foundation.[20] An investigation by the Guardia di Finanza found that the foundation had presented false loss-making balance sheets to obtain 310,000 euros of public funding for the 2009 and 2010 editions of the Rimini Meeting:[20][21][22] such funds can only be disbursed to organisations not making profits.[20] The public agencies involved included Emilia-Romagna's regional council, Rimini's tourist marketing agency, the local Chamber of Commerce, and the Ministry of Culture.[20][21][22] The group was acquitted in March 2016.[21]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Che cos'è il Meeting" [What is the Meeting?]. Meeting di Rimini (in Italian). Retrieved 7 June 2023.
2. ^ Mayaki SJ, Benedict (19 August 2022). "Pope to Rimini meeting: Spread in the world a passion for the person". Vatican News. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
3. ^ a b Maria De Luca, Davide (19 August 2012). "Che cos'è Comunione e Liberazione" [What is Communion and Liberation?]. Il Post (in Italian). Retrieved 24 June 2023.
4. ^ a b Olivari, Stefano (24 August 2022). "Perché tutti vanno al Meeting di Rimini" [Why everyone goes to the Riimini Meeting]. Indiscreto (in Italian). Retrieved 24 June 2023.
5. ^ a b "Dal 20 al 26 agosto a Rimini la 36° edizione del Meeting" [From 20 to 26 August in Rimini the 36th edition of the Meeting]. riminiturismo.it (in Italian). 17 August 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
6. ^ a b c Zavagli, Stefano (21 August 2023). "Rimini capitale della politica, al Meeting attesi 10 ministri del governo Meloni. In campo 3.000 volontari" [Rimini, capital of politics: Ten ministers of Meloni's government are expected at the Meeting. 3,000 volunteers are in the field.]. RiminiToday (in Italian). Retrieved 23 October 2023.
7. ^ "Meeting for friendship among peoples: 44th edition". riminiturismo.it. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
8. ^ Guiducci, Paolo (26 August 2022). "Rimini. Al Meeting tornano i numeri record. Nel 2023 al centro un'amicizia inesauribile" [Record numbers return to the Meeting in Rimini: in 2023, an inexhaustible friendship is at the centre]. Avvenire (in Italian). Retrieved 9 June 2023.
9. ^ "31 gennaio 1991 - Si apre a Rimini il XX e ultimo congresso del Pci" [31 January 1991: The twentieth and last congress of the PCI opens in Rimini]. Chiamami Città (in Italian). 30 January 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
10. ^ "The Foundation". Meeting di Rimini. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
11. ^ "Articles of Foundation". Meeting di Rimini. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
12. ^ Paolucci, Giorgio (12 August 2021). "«Il nostro segreto è la gratuità»" ["Our secret is in the freeness"]. Famiglia Cristiana. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
13. ^ "Grande manifestazione conclusiva". Meeting di Rimini (in Italian). Retrieved 24 June 2023.
14. ^ Pope John Paul II (29 August 1982). "Build the Civilization of Truth and Love". Communion and Liberation. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
15. ^ Guiducci, Paolo (26 August 2022). "Rimini. Al Meeting tornano i numeri record. Nel 2023 al centro un'amicizia inesauribile" [Record numbers return to the Meeting in Rimini: in 2023, an inexhaustible friendship is at the centre]. Avvenire (in Italian). Retrieved 9 June 2023.
16. ^ Torinelli, Andrea (4 September 2016). "The saint who treated President Reagan 'like a school boy'". La Stampa. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
17. ^ Invereigh, Austen (29 August 2009). "Tony Blair in Rimini talks language of Benedict XVI". America. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
18. ^ "Meeting Rimini: sfilano leader politici, popolo di Cl tifa Meloni" [Meeting Rimini: Political leaders parade and the CL crowd supports Meloni]. Libero Quotidiano (in Italian). 23 August 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
19. ^ Graziano Flore, Raffaele (22 August 2022). "Programma Meeting Rimini 2022 oggi 22 agosto/ Incontri, ospiti e video streaming" [Rimini 2022 Meeting Program today, 22 August: Meetings, guests and video streaming]. IlSussidiario.net (in Italian). Retrieved 25 June 2023.
20. ^ a b c d e Dirani, Deborah (11 December 2012). "Meeting dell'amicizia di Rimini, indagati per truffa tre dirigenti. La Fondazione: l'ipotesi di reato per noi è infondata" [Friendship Meeting in Rimini: Three managers under investigation for fraud. The Foundation: the alleged crime is unfounded for us.]. Il Sole 24 Ore (in Italian). Retrieved 25 June 2023.
21. ^ a b c d "Meeting Rimini, tutti assolti al processo: nessun indebita appropriazione di fondi pubblici" [Rimini Meeting. All acquitted in the trial: No misappropriation of public funds.]. altarimini.it (in Italian). 22 March 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
22. ^ a b "Procura dissequestra palazzina Meeting" [Prosecutor releases the Meeting building from seizure]. Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata. 5 January 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2023.

## External links

[edit]

* Official site of Meeting for friendship among peoples Archived 2007-05-26 at the Wayback Machine

* v
* t
* e

Catholic laity

Organizations of lay members of the Catholic Church who are neither in holy orders nor members of religious institutes

Personal ordinariates,
prelatures, and apostolic
administrations|

* Military ordinariates
* Ordinariate for Eastern Catholic faithful
* Opus Dei
* Anglican Use: Chair of Saint Peter, Our Lady of the Southern Cross, Our Lady of Walsingham
* Saint John Mary Vianney

Third orders|

* Order of Augustinian Recollects
* Order of Saint Augustine
* Oblates of Saint Benedict
* Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites
* Order of Saint Dominic
* Order of Saint Francis
* Secular Franciscan Order
* Order of Mercy
* Order of Minims
* Order Secular of the Most Holy Trinity
* Order of Saint Norbert
* Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
* Association of Salesian Cooperators
* Order of Servites

Confraternities|

| Archconfraternities|

* Archconfraternity of the Holy Family
* Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood

|

Types|

* Confraternities of the Cord
* Confraternity of Penitents
* Flagellant confraternities
* Purgatorial society

Individual|

* Confraternity of Christian Doctrine
* Confraternity of Catholic Saints
* Confraternity of the Rosary
* Bona Mors Confraternity
* Children of Mary of the Sacred Heart
* Hospitalité Notre Dame de Lourdes
* Illustrious Brotherhood of Our Blessed Lady
* Penitentes
* Penitential Brotherhood of the Holy Eucharist
* Society of the Holy Name
* Ven. Arc. Misericordia di Florence
* RVISSM

International
associations
of the faithful|

* Catenian Association
* Chemin Neuf Community
* Christian Life Community
* Christian Life Movement
* Cooperators of Opus Dei
* Couples for Christ
* Cursillo
* Communion and Liberation
* Emmanuel Community
* FIMCAP
* Focolare Movement
* Heralds of the Gospel
* International Alliance of Catholic Knights
* International Catholic Conference of Scouting
* International Federation of Catholic Universities
* International Kolping Society
* International Union of Catholic Esperantists
* Lay Claretian Movement
* L'Arche
* Legion of Mary
* Militia Christi
* Militia of the Immaculata
* Neocatechumenal Way
* Pax Romana
* Priests for Life
* Regnum Christi
* Sant'Egidio Community
* SIGNIS
* Schoenstatt Movement
* Teams of Our Lady
* Teresian Association
* UIGSE
* Union of Catholic Apostolate

Other associations
of the faithful|

* Apostolate for Family Consecration
* Association of Vatican Lay Workers
* Catholic Charismatic Renewal (Canção Nova) (Shalom Catholic Community)
* Catholic Christian Outreach
* Catholic Worker Movement
* Fellowship of Catholic University Students
* Madonna House
* Maryknoll Lay Missioners
* NET Ministries
* Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network
* Queen of Angels Foundation
* Saint Paul's Outreach
* Society of Saint Vincent de Paul

Movements|

* Catholic Marian movements and societies
* Catholic Action
* Azione Cattolica
* Catholic Women's League
* Catholic Worker Movement
* World Movement of Christian Workers
* Young Christian Workers
* Christian Family Movement
* Courage International
* El Shaddai
* Family Rosary Crusade
* Fidesco International
* Notre-Dame de Chrétienté
* Theology on Tap
* Voice of the Faithful
* Young Men's Institute
* We Are Church

See also|

* Catholic catechesis
* Catholic Congress
* Catholic Extension
* Catholic higher education
* Catholic youth work
* Catholic campus ministry
* Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life
* Lay Centre at Foyer Unitas
* Lists of Catholics
* Pontifical Council for the Laity
* Taizé Community
* Universal call to holiness

| Charities|

* Aid to the Church in Need
* Caritas
* Catholic Charities
* Home Missions
* CNEWA
* Relief Services
* CIDSE
* Pax Christi
* Society of Saint Vincent de Paul

|

* Catholic Church portal
* Index

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template