St Peter's Basilica Converted into a Debate Hall
The four participants sat behind a desk in the basilica's sanctuary, in front of the communion table. Each of them had a bottle and a glass in front of them.
The Novus Ordo regards churches as secularised meeting rooms. Among the participants was the Protestant pastor and theologian Paolo Ricca, 86.
He spoke about Mt 16, where Christ calls Peter a rock ("on this rock I will build my church"), and suggested that "one Peter is not enough", that "we too are a rock" and that St Peter is considered first in Mt 16 because no one had said to Jesus before: "You are Christ." But Martha does this in John 11:27.
Ricca also said that this was the first time in the "thousand-year history of this basilica" [dedicated in 1626] that a Waldensian pastor had spoken there, and suggested that this was the fulfilment of Isaiah ("new things") and St Paul ("first fruits of the Spirit").
He rejoiced that "the ecumenical church" was taking shape today, "right here in this basilica".
The next panel discussion in St Peter's Basilica will take place in January 2023.
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