"Court of the Gentiles" To Take Place Next Month in Berlin

Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, president of the German Bishops Conference, was among several representatives from Germany on the upcoming “Court of the Gentiles” which will take place in Berlin from November 26th-28th. The event is promoted by the Pontifical Council for Culture in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Berlin and the German Bishops Conference.

Fr. Laurent Mazas, Executive Director of the “Court of the Gentiles” began the conference by explaining the symbolic significance of such an event. One of the events include a procession of two groups near the Bode Museum. This he said, is symbolic of the “Court of the Gentiles”, two different groups who seek to dialogue and work together.

The purpose of the event, Archbishop Zollitsch explained to journalists, was to open a path of dialogue between believers and nonbelievers.

“Here believers, agnostics and atheists will meet to discuss in the center of the capital on [several] chosen themes: they will discuss ethical humanism in depth, on the greatness of the faith in God, of freedom of art and beauty, in respect to creation, the aspects and models of man, but also of the grace and dignity of human nature and devotion,” Archbishop Zollitsch said.

Regarding the procession will take place at the famed Bode Museum in Berlin, a place known to house both sacred and profane works of art, Archbishop Zollitsch described it as “an incomparable expression and representation of gestures and the lives of both believers and nonbelievers.”

The choreographed procession will have its central theme the question of “Do you believe what you know or do you know what you believe?” (Credi ciò che sai o sai ciò che credi?). The theme along with the physical expression of music and art is meant to be a physical manifestation of the hope of dialogue between believers and atheists.

Jesuit priest and doctor, Fr. Hans Langendörfer, Secretary General of the German Bishops Conference, stated that the event is meant to create an intellectual presence of the Church, that allows for a concrete dialogue with others. Dr. Joachim Hake, Director of the Catholic Academy of the Archdiocese of Berlin, said that the “Court of the Gentiles” is not meant to have representatives of different perspectives argue their beliefs, but rather a means to to speak with respect and understanding through the diverse experiences lived by different people.

Concluding the presentation on the Court of the Gentiles, Archbishop Zollitsch said that the example made by Pope Francis in his recent interview with atheist journalist Eugenio Scalfari is a perfect example of the dialogue promoted by the event. “It is a call to respect the opinions of others,” the Archbishop noted.

Before ending the conference, Archbishop Zollitsch made a statement regarding the recent news regarding Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst of the Diocese of Limburg. Several media outlets in Germany criticized the prelate for spending an estimated € 31 million ($42 million) on a new residence and several offices.

Archbishop Zollitsch said that he was following the situation closely and a formal commission, consisting of experts in canon law and finance, are currently investigating the matter. “The names of the members will not be revealed as of yet, so as to allow them to conduct their investigation,” the Archbishop said. “As soon as it is over, both the report and the members of the commission will be announced.”

Although he said he is here solely for the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization, the president of the German Bishops Conference asked for understanding while the commission investigates the matter.

“It is a call to respect the opinions of others,” the Archbishop noted."

While we do have an obligation to respect others we have no obligation to respect their opinions we don't believe in. This is especially true when their opinions contradict scripture. Why in the world would you respect an opinion you know to be wrong? That's nonsense and a form of idolatry.

A better word might be "tolerate." A related question came up for me just this morning, when I was doing a make-up lesson with one of my RCIA students. SWhe wanted to know to what extent we must allow other people to follow their conscience. We had a good discussion but, long story short, ended up pondering these two quotes:

"Conscience is a student, not a teacher" meaning, you don't invent your "own" morality: our goal is to "think with the mind of Christ"..

and...

"Conscience has duties before it has rights," meaning, you have a duty to correctly form, inform, finally transform your conscience.

That being said, you should ordinarily honor and even accommodate a person's right to follow even a erroneous conscience, as long as they are not hurting anybody thereby. For example: say a person thinks it's a sin to eat meat. Their conscience is erroneous, but if I've invited them to my home for dinner, I should refrain from putting a burger under their nose, and instead give them a nice vegetable chowder!

"A better word might be "tolerate."

No disagreement here. Which is why I noted that we do have an obligation to respect persons but that does not necessarily imply an ethical obligation to respect their opinions. I also agree with you that we should not be a "stumbling block" as your "menu" illustration points out.

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