In the heart of Turin, just a few meters from Piazza Castello, stands the Church of San Francesco d’Assisi, a 13th-century temple that safeguarded the Holy Shroud for seven years after its transfer from Chambéry, and which remains to this day an active Catholic church of the Archdiocese of Turin, with regular Mass and worship.
This same temple is now also the stable liturgical seat of the Evangelical Lutheran Community of Turin.
We are not speaking of a one-off ecumenical act, a joint prayer, or a charity concert. The Lutheran community, part of the CELI (Chiesa Evangelica Luterana in Italia), celebrates its Sunday services, its “Holy Supper,” and even Ash Wednesday at San Francesco d’Assisi, with schedules published on its official website. So established is the arrangement that, upon acquiring its new administrative headquarters on Via Modena, the community itself expressly noted that line 19 connects it with “the Church of San Francesco d’Assisi, where we celebrate our services.” The pastor, who arrived from Bavaria in 2022, describes the celebration of the sacraments—the baptism and the Holy Supper—as the heart of his ministry.
The Franciscans, expelled during the suppressions of the 19th century, have long ceased to administer the church, which is now a diocesan church. Current regulations leave no doubt as to who is authorized to permit such use: the ordinary of the place.
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