Scouting in Italy
Encyclopedia
The Scout Movement
in Italy
consists of about 40 different associations and federations with about 220,000 Scouts and Guides
. Next to Germany
, France
and Russia
, Italy is the country with the most fragmented Scout movement.
The meeting between teacher Remo Molinari and Francis Vane
, an old aide of Baden-Powell's and a former Scout Commissioner of London
before Baden-Powell ousted him from the Scout Association, led to the founding of the Ragazzi Esploratori Italiani on July 12, 1910, in Bagni di Lucca
, in Tuscany
. The press coverage and the presence of King Vittorio Emanuele III
at San Rossore on November 6, 1910 gave much publicity to their initiative. This saw the creation of new troops under the name of Ragazzi Patrioti in Tuscany's cities of Lucca
, Pisa
and Florence
. The interest of authorities and educators peaked in Genoa
and Lombardy
. The organization was also known with other names, including Boy Scouts della Pace (Peace Boy Scouts).
Another important meeting took place in 1910, between English doctor and educator James Richardson Spensley
, who had met Baden-Powell, and a Catholic educator from Genoa, Mario Mazza
, would bear more durable fruits for Italian Scouting.
Mazza had founded, in Genoa in 1905, a movement of active education "Juventus Juvat" splintered in groups of boys known as "Gioiose". Mazza understood that the principles and methods of his organization would better work out within the Scouting Movement, as he knew it from meeting Spensley and attending a conference given by Sir Vane. This would later expand into all of Liguria and also in Florence and Naples and by the way of absorbing some of the troops left over from Vane's experience. On New Year's Day 1911, the REI sent their wishes to Baden-Powell and all their Boy Scout brothers of Great Britain.
Vane was busy with all these initiatives which he qualified as an Italian Section of the British Boy Scouts, which he had founded in England when he was expelled from the Scout Association
, until 1914 when he was called to war. By that time, however, REI had disbanded, and in 1912 another organization was born, called CNGEI.
For this reason, the official birthdate of Scouting in Italy is often listed as 1912. Italy was a founding member of the World Organization (WOSM) in 1922. Italy was readmitted to WOSM in 1946.
In 1913 a German-speaking Sea Scout
s unit was founded in Trieste
. It was named Tegetthoff.
In 1915 Egon von Lund founded the See-Skaut-Schule/Scouti marini di Trieste (Sea Scouts School).
There were more than 300 Sea Scouts, mostly Italians, Slovenes, Croats but also Germans, Hungarians, Czechs and other nationalities from the Habsburg Empire. Together with the Austrian Sea Scouts in Mali Lošinj
and Opatija
the Scouti marini di Trieste formed the geographical division Austrian Coastland (Landesverband Küstenland) of the Austrian National Scout organization Österreichischer Pfadfinderbund. In 1917 Emperor Charles I visited the Sea Scouts in Trieste. In 1918 the Sea Skaut-Skaut Schule/Scouti marini di Trieste was disbanded. In 2009 a memorial commemorating the See-Skaut-Schule/Scouti marini di Trieste (Sea Scouts School) was erected by Austrian and Italian Scouts in Trieste.
The Austro-Hungarian soldier and Austrian Scoutleader Julius Markaritzer founded in 1916 a Scout troop in Trento
. This Scout unit, which included German- and Italian-speakings boys, was also visited by the Emperor Charles I.
There is also a large number of regional and local associations. Those affiliated to national organizations are listed above. Among the independent associations are:
is one of 35 countries where there is no National Scout Organization that is a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement
or WAGGGS at the present time.
Since Vatican citizenship is only conferred upon members of the clergy (who are celibate) or those who have been appointed to work at the Vatican and their families, and it is usually revoked upon the termination of their employment, there are few children in Vatican City, thus it is unlikely any Scout unit will ever be started.
In 1986 Pope John Paul II
was given the Wood Badge
insignia as an honorary Associazione Guide e Scouts Cattolici Italiani (AGESCI) leader.
The Pope, as Bishop of Rome, is required to approve the appointment of chaplains for all AGESCI Scout groups in Rome
, and for all Scout districts of Rome (even though this is usually delegated to the Cardinal Vicar
). He regularly meets most Catholic Scout groups in Rome as he visits Roman parishes.
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
consists of about 40 different associations and federations with about 220,000 Scouts and Guides
Girl Guides
A Guide, Girl Guide or Girl Scout is a member of a section of some Guiding organisations who is between the ages of 10 and 14. Age limits are different in each organisation. It is the female-centred equivalent of the Scouts. The term Girl Scout is used in the United States and several East Asian...
. Next to Germany
Scouting in Germany
The Scout movement in Germany consists of about 150 different associations and federations with about 260,000 Scouts and Guides.Scouting in Germany started in 1909. German Scouting later became involved with the German Youth Movement, of which the Wandervogel was a part...
, France
Scouting in France
The Scout movement in France consists of about 80 different associations and federations with about 180,000 Scouts and Girl Guides. Next to Germany, France is the country with the most fragmented Scout movement....
and Russia
Scouting in Russia
Scouting in Russia comprises several dozen Scout associations, based on religion, politics and geography.-History of Scouting in Russia:-1908 to 1922:...
, Italy is the country with the most fragmented Scout movement.
History
The first attempts at Scouting in Italy go back to 1910. They are due in part to the meeting of English gentlemen who were directly influenced by the work and ideas of Robert Baden-Powell, with Italian educators already engaged in pedagogic activity within the new education of the beginning of the century.The meeting between teacher Remo Molinari and Francis Vane
Francis Vane
For the murder exposed by Major Sir Francis Fletcher Vane, see Francis Sheehy-SkeffingtonSir Francis Patrick Fletcher-Vane, 5th Baronet was an early aide of Lord Baden-Powell's and a Scout Commissioner of London before Baden-Powell ousted him from the Scout Association...
, an old aide of Baden-Powell's and a former Scout Commissioner of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
before Baden-Powell ousted him from the Scout Association, led to the founding of the Ragazzi Esploratori Italiani on July 12, 1910, in Bagni di Lucca
Bagni di Lucca
Bagni di Lucca is a comune of Tuscany, Italy, in the Province of Lucca with a population of c. 6,500.-History:Bagni di Lucca was known for its thermal springs since the Etruscan and Roman Ages....
, in Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
. The press coverage and the presence of King Vittorio Emanuele III
Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Victor Emmanuel III was a member of the House of Savoy and King of Italy . In addition, he claimed the crowns of Ethiopia and Albania and claimed the titles Emperor of Ethiopia and King of Albania , which were unrecognised by the Great Powers...
at San Rossore on November 6, 1910 gave much publicity to their initiative. This saw the creation of new troops under the name of Ragazzi Patrioti in Tuscany's cities of Lucca
Lucca
Lucca is a city and comune in Tuscany, central Italy, situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plainnear the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Lucca...
, Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
and Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
. The interest of authorities and educators peaked in Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
and Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
. The organization was also known with other names, including Boy Scouts della Pace (Peace Boy Scouts).
Another important meeting took place in 1910, between English doctor and educator James Richardson Spensley
James Richardson Spensley
Dr James Richardson Spensley was an English doctor, footballer, manager, Scout Leader and medic from Stoke Newington, London. He is considered to be one of the "Fathers of Italian football", due to his association with Genoa CFC and his contribution to the modern day variation of the game in Italy...
, who had met Baden-Powell, and a Catholic educator from Genoa, Mario Mazza
Mario Mazza
Mario Mazza was an Italian educator. In 1916 He was one of the founding members of ASCI which became The Scouts Association of Catholic Italians....
, would bear more durable fruits for Italian Scouting.
Mazza had founded, in Genoa in 1905, a movement of active education "Juventus Juvat" splintered in groups of boys known as "Gioiose". Mazza understood that the principles and methods of his organization would better work out within the Scouting Movement, as he knew it from meeting Spensley and attending a conference given by Sir Vane. This would later expand into all of Liguria and also in Florence and Naples and by the way of absorbing some of the troops left over from Vane's experience. On New Year's Day 1911, the REI sent their wishes to Baden-Powell and all their Boy Scout brothers of Great Britain.
Vane was busy with all these initiatives which he qualified as an Italian Section of the British Boy Scouts, which he had founded in England when he was expelled from the Scout Association
The Scout Association
The Scout Association is the World Organization of the Scout Movement recognised Scouting association in the United Kingdom. Scouting began in 1907 through the efforts of Robert Baden-Powell. The Scout Association was formed under its previous name, The Boy Scout Association, in 1910 by the grant...
, until 1914 when he was called to war. By that time, however, REI had disbanded, and in 1912 another organization was born, called CNGEI.
For this reason, the official birthdate of Scouting in Italy is often listed as 1912. Italy was a founding member of the World Organization (WOSM) in 1922. Italy was readmitted to WOSM in 1946.
In 1913 a German-speaking Sea Scout
Sea Scout
Sea Scouts are members of the international Scouting movement, with a particular emphasis on water-based activities, such as kayaking, canoeing, sailing, and rowing. Depending on the country and the available water these activities are on lakes, rivers or sea in small or large ships. Sea Scouting...
s unit was founded in Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
. It was named Tegetthoff.
In 1915 Egon von Lund founded the See-Skaut-Schule/Scouti marini di Trieste (Sea Scouts School).
There were more than 300 Sea Scouts, mostly Italians, Slovenes, Croats but also Germans, Hungarians, Czechs and other nationalities from the Habsburg Empire. Together with the Austrian Sea Scouts in Mali Lošinj
Mali Lošinj
-Mayors:*Hrvoje Lesic - *Mario Hofmann - *Dragan Balija - Alliance of Primorje-Gorski Kotar *Gari Capelli - Croatian Democratic Union -References:...
and Opatija
Opatija
Opatija is a town in western Croatia, just southwest of Rijeka on the Adriatic coast. , the town proper had a population of 7,850, with the municipality having a total 12,719 inhabitants.-Geography:...
the Scouti marini di Trieste formed the geographical division Austrian Coastland (Landesverband Küstenland) of the Austrian National Scout organization Österreichischer Pfadfinderbund. In 1917 Emperor Charles I visited the Sea Scouts in Trieste. In 1918 the Sea Skaut-Skaut Schule/Scouti marini di Trieste was disbanded. In 2009 a memorial commemorating the See-Skaut-Schule/Scouti marini di Trieste (Sea Scouts School) was erected by Austrian and Italian Scouts in Trieste.
The Austro-Hungarian soldier and Austrian Scoutleader Julius Markaritzer founded in 1916 a Scout troop in Trento
Trento
Trento is an Italian city located in the Adige River valley in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. It is the capital of Trentino...
. This Scout unit, which included German- and Italian-speakings boys, was also visited by the Emperor Charles I.
Italian Scouting associations
Italian Scouting associations include the following nationwide organizations (with their respective members):- Federazione Italiana dello ScautismoFederazione Italiana dello ScautismoThe Federazione Italiana dello Scautismo is the national Scouting and Guiding federation of Italy. Scouting and Guiding in Italy started in 1910, the Boy Scouts were among the charter members of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1922, the Girl Guides joined the World Association of...
(FIS), member of the World Organization of the Scout MovementWorld Organization of the Scout MovementThe World Organization of the Scout Movement is the Non-governmental international organization which governs most national Scout Organizations, with 31 million members. WOSM was established in 1920, and has its headquarters at Geneva, Switzerland...
and of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl ScoutsWorld Association of Girl Guides and Girl ScoutsThe World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts is a global association supporting the female-oriented and female-only Scouting organizations in 145 countries. It was established in 1928 and has its headquarters in London, England. It is the counterpart of the World Organization of the Scout...
, umbrella federation of- Associazione Guide e Scouts Cattolici Italiani (AGESCI), 177.000 members
- Südtiroler PfadfinderschaftSüdtiroler PfadfinderschaftThe Südtiroler Pfadfinderschaft , abbreviated as SP, is the Roman Catholic Scout association of the German minority of the Italian province of South Tyrol . The association is coeducational and has 600 members in seven troops. It is affiliated to the Associazione Guide e Scouts Cattolici Italiani...
(SP)
- Südtiroler Pfadfinderschaft
- Corpo Nazionale Giovani Esploratori ed Esploratrici ItalianiCorpo Nazionale Giovani Esploratori ed Esploratrici ItalianiThe Corpo Nazionale Giovani Esploratori ed Esploratrici Italiani is an Italian Scout and Guiding association that started its activities in 1913 with the support of Carlo Colombo following Baden Powell's method. CNGEI is the oldest of the Italian Scout associations and the third by membership...
(CNGEI), about 12.000 members
- Associazione Guide e Scouts Cattolici Italiani (AGESCI), 177.000 members
- Movimento Adulti Scout Cattolici Italiani (MASCI), member of the International Scout and Guide FellowshipInternational Scout and Guide FellowshipThe International Scout and Guide Fellowship is a worldwide organization of Scout alumni in support of Scouting and Guiding who want to strengthen dialogue between communities through community-oriented projects worldwide....
(adult scouting, nationwide) - Associazione Italiana Guide e Scouts d'Europa Cattolici della FSE (AIGSEC-FSE), member of the Union Internationale des Guides et Scouts d'EuropeUnion Internationale des Guides et Scouts d'EuropeThe International Union of the Guides and Scouts of Europe is a traditional faith-based Scouting organization with 20 member associations in 17 European...
, about 20.000 members - four members of the World Federation of Independent ScoutsWorld Federation of Independent ScoutsThe World Federation of Independent Scouts is the non-governmental international organization which governs 82 affiliated Scout Organizations in 41 countries, with an estimated 200,000 members in 3562 Scout Groups...
:- Associazione Indipendente Scout (ASSISCOUT)
- Associazione Scautistica Cattolica Italiana (ASCI) (often called new ASCI to distinguish it with the similarly named association operating 1916-1974 which later became AGESCI)
- Federazione del Movimento Scout Italiano (until June 2006 Federazione Scautistica Italiana; FEDERSCOUT), former member of the Confédération Européenne de ScoutismeConfédération Européenne de ScoutismeKnown in English as the Confederation of European Scouts, the Confédération Européenne de Scoutisme was formed in Brussels, Belgium on November 12, 1978, and is based in Belgium. CES stresses the European dimension of their Scouting program and that CES provides the "authentic Scouting of...
; an umbrella federation that includes the following local and regional associations:- Associazione Gruppo Scout "Pescara 1" (AbruzzoAbruzzoAbruzzo is a region in Italy, its western border lying less than due east of Rome. Abruzzo borders the region of Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east, and the Adriatic Sea to the east...
) - Associazione Giovani Scout (AGISCOUT, ApuliaApuliaApulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
) - Scout Nautici Cattolici Sirio (CalabriaCalabriaCalabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
) - Associazione Italiana Scout Nautica Antares (ANTARES, Lazio)
- Associazione Scautistica Europea (ASE, Lazio)
- Boy Scouts of Italy (BSI, Lazio)
- Associazione Scout Damanhur Italia (LombardyLombardyLombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
) - Associazione Soccorritori Italiani Scout (ASI-SCOUT, Lombardy)
- Giovani Esploratori Lombardi (GEL, Lombardy)
- Associazione Giovani Esploratori Sardi (AGES, SardiniaSardiniaSardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
) - Gruppo Scout Madonna del Rosario (Sardinia)
- Associazione Giovani Esploratori ed Esploratrici Apuani (AGEA, TuscanyTuscanyTuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
) - Fondazione Scout Firenze 1° "Marliani Silvano" (Tuscany)
- Gruppo Promotore degli Scouts - San Casciano Val di Pesa (Tuscany)
- Associazione Veneta Scout Cattolici (AVSC, VenetoVenetoVeneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
) - Gruppo Scout Vicenza (Veneto)
- Associazione Gruppo Scout "Pescara 1" (Abruzzo
- Sezione Scout di Gela "Fabio Rampulla" (Sicily)
- Associazione Italiana di Scautismo Raider (ASSORAIDER)
- Associazione Italiana Scout Avventista (AISA), affiliated to Pathfinders InternationalPathfinders (Seventh-day Adventist)The Pathfinder Club is a worldwide program organized and directed by the Youth Department of the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church...
- Associazione Scout Evangelici Italiani (ASEI)
- Hashomer HatzairHashomer HatzairHashomer Hatzair is a Socialist–Zionist youth movement founded in 1913 in Galicia, Austria-Hungary, and was also the name of the group's political party in the Yishuv in the pre-1948 British Mandate of Palestine...
- Royal Rangers Italia - Associazione Scout Evangelica, affiliated to Royal Rangers InternationalRoyal RangersRoyal Rangers is a worldwide ministry of the Assemblies of God and is designed to provide youth with challenging activities while providing them with Christian instruction. Royal Rangers International is open to participation of both boys and girls, while the US only allows boy participation in...
There is also a large number of regional and local associations. Those affiliated to national organizations are listed above. Among the independent associations are:
- Amici delle Iniziative Scout (AMIS, Friuli-Venezia GiuliaFriuli-Venezia GiuliaFriuli–Venezia Giulia is one of the twenty regions of Italy, and one of five autonomous regions with special statute. The capital is Trieste. It has an area of 7,858 km² and about 1.2 million inhabitants. A natural opening to the sea for many Central European countries, the region is...
) - Guide e Scouts San Benedetto (SSB, Sicily)
- Giovani Scouts Italiani (GSI, Sicily)affiliated to BSA of NATO base of Sigonella
- Protezione Civile Scout Cattolici Italiani (PCS, Apulia)
- Associazione Scout San Giorgio (ASSG, Friuli-Venezia Giulia)
International Scouting units in Italy
- Združenje slovenskih katoliških skavtinj in skavtovZdruženje slovenskih katoliških skavtinj in skavtovZdruženje slovenskih katoliških skavtinj in skavtov is the national Guiding organization of Slovenia. Guiding in Slovenia was started in 1922. The ZSKSS was founded on March 31, 1990 and became a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 1996. The overall organization is...
with the- Slovenska zamejska skavtska organizacija, serving the Slovene minority in Friuli-Venezia GiuliaFriuli-Venezia GiuliaFriuli–Venezia Giulia is one of the twenty regions of Italy, and one of five autonomous regions with special statute. The capital is Trieste. It has an area of 7,858 km² and about 1.2 million inhabitants. A natural opening to the sea for many Central European countries, the region is...
, the association is also affiliated to AGESCI
- Slovenska zamejska skavtska organizacija, serving the Slovene minority in Friuli-Venezia Giulia
- Boy Scouts of AmericaBoy Scouts of AmericaThe Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
, served by the Transatlantic Council - Girl Scouts of the USAGirl Scouts of the USAThe Girl Scouts of the United States of America is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It describes itself as "the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls". It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and was organized after Low...
, served by USA Girl Scouts Overseas—North Atlantic (NORAGS) and by USAGSO headquarters - Vietnamese Scout Association-Hoi Huong Đao
- Scouts Unitaires de FranceScouting in FranceThe Scout movement in France consists of about 80 different associations and federations with about 180,000 Scouts and Girl Guides. Next to Germany, France is the country with the most fragmented Scout movement....
- The Scout Association (UK)The Scout AssociationThe Scout Association is the World Organization of the Scout Movement recognised Scouting association in the United Kingdom. Scouting began in 1907 through the efforts of Robert Baden-Powell. The Scout Association was formed under its previous name, The Boy Scout Association, in 1910 by the grant...
, served by British Scouts Western Europe, Germany District - Girlguiding UKGirlguiding UKGirlguiding UK is the national Guiding organisation of the United Kingdom. Guiding began in the UK in 1910 after Robert Baden-Powell asked his sister Agnes to start a group especially for girls that would be run along similar lines to Scouting for Boys. The Guide Association was a founder member of...
, served by British Guides in Foreign Countries
Vatican City
Vatican CityVatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
is one of 35 countries where there is no National Scout Organization that is a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement
World Organization of the Scout Movement
The World Organization of the Scout Movement is the Non-governmental international organization which governs most national Scout Organizations, with 31 million members. WOSM was established in 1920, and has its headquarters at Geneva, Switzerland...
or WAGGGS at the present time.
Since Vatican citizenship is only conferred upon members of the clergy (who are celibate) or those who have been appointed to work at the Vatican and their families, and it is usually revoked upon the termination of their employment, there are few children in Vatican City, thus it is unlikely any Scout unit will ever be started.
In 1986 Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
was given the Wood Badge
Wood Badge
Wood Badge is a Scouting leadership program and the related award for adult leaders in the programs of Scout associations throughout the world. Wood Badge courses aim to make Scouters better leaders by teaching advanced leadership skills, and by creating a bond and commitment to the Scout movement...
insignia as an honorary Associazione Guide e Scouts Cattolici Italiani (AGESCI) leader.
The Pope, as Bishop of Rome, is required to approve the appointment of chaplains for all AGESCI Scout groups in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, and for all Scout districts of Rome (even though this is usually delegated to the Cardinal Vicar
Cardinal Vicar
Cardinal Vicar is a title commonly given to the vicar general of the diocese of Rome for the portion of the diocese within Italy. The official title, as given in the Annuario Pontificio , is "Vicar General of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome"...
). He regularly meets most Catholic Scout groups in Rome as he visits Roman parishes.