Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi
Posted on 01/26/2011 2:42:56 PM PST by NYer
.- Dialogue between the Vatican, agnostics and atheists will take place in a new arena as of this spring.
The "Courtyard of the Gentiles" project, brainchild of the Pontifical Council for Culture and its president Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, will be officially presented Mar. 24-25 in Paris, France.
Cardinal Ravasi first unveiled his plans for the Paris inauguration of the "Courtyard" last year, but further details were released in a statement from the council on Jan. 25.
The Vatican's culture department plans for it to be "a new permanent Vatican structure to promote dialogue and encounter between believers and non-believers."
The inauguration in Paris will involve a series of events over the two days.
Presentations based on the theme “religion, enlightenment, common reason" will be delivered at the headquarters of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational and Scientific Organization, Sorbonne University and the Institut de France.
A roundtable discussion will be held at the College des Bernardins at their conclusion on March 25. Festivities including music, plays, and a light show will follow outside the Cathedral of Notre Dame.
During the celebration, themed “Into the Courtyard of the Unknown,” the cathedral will be open for prayer and meditation.
As reported in Italy's La Repubblica last May, Cardinal Ravasi explained that the "project" would begin with the broad base of discussing "a comprehensive vision of man."
It will not shy away from themes such as abortion, homosexuality and pedophilia, he said, but these subjects would be addressed during dialogue "in due time."
Worth the effort for even one soul.
Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, "Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations (gentiles), and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months....Related thread:
-- Revelation 11:1-2
&&Worth the effort for even one soul.**
Absolutely.
“Courtyard of the Gentiles” was a Temple area designation. Does the Vatican have Jews in mind for this project? How about muslims? Protestants? Mormans? Bahais?...
Actually, I’ve never heard of a Jewish source for any area of the Temple being called “Courtyard of the Gentiles”.
This is an extension of the work conducted by the late Cardinal Lustiger over a 35 year period before his death in 2007. I had hoped somebody would take up the torch, and it appears his earlier work might bear fruit.
True Christians need to spread the word of God, not squat upon it and claim it exclusively for themselves.
In our parish, it's spun off a ministry to the men of the parish to renew their faith. Our rector, an incredibly busy man, has set aside time to meet with the men and have a little talk and then say the Rosary together. It's proved very popular.
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