Vatican Report. CW: The Vatican has released details of next October’s interreligious gathering for peace in the Italian hill town of Assisi. Pope Benedict convened the “spiritual pilgrimage” to …More
Vatican Report.
CW: The Vatican has released details of next October’s interreligious gathering for peace in the Italian hill town of Assisi. Pope Benedict convened the “spiritual pilgrimage” to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the first Assisi meeting by Pope John Paul II in 1986. Today we’ll look at how Pope Benedict is continuing a tradition, but also reshaping it in his own style. I’m Cindy Wooden.
JT: And I’m John Thavis. Twenty-five years ago, the world’s religious leaders joined Pope John Paul in the birthplace of St. Francis to pray for peace. In some ways, it was like a world’s fair of religious expression: Buddhist monks meditated, American Indians chanted and an African chief invoked the spirits of peace. It was a controversial event, even inside the Vatican. Some thought it risked giving the impression that all religions were equal. One Vatican official who did not attend was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict, who was said to have deep reservations about the encounter.
CW: So it surprised some people when Pope Benedict announced he was convening another Assisi meeting. This time, too, representatives of the world’s religions are being invited. But there are a couple of key differences. For one thing, there is no joint prayer service. There are spaces for individual prayer, a shared meal and a final meeting to renew the commitment to peace. This time around the Vatican is emphasizing that the participants are praying in their own distinctive ways.
JT: Does that means Pope Benedict thinks people of different faiths cannot pray together? Not exactly. You may remember that when the German pope went to Turkey in 2006, he stood and prayed next to a Muslim cleric in a mosque. But Vatican organizers of the Assisi gathering want to avoid the impression that prayer is like a melting pot where distinctive religious identities are dissolved. The prayer at this year’s event will also be more private than in 1986, when some felt there was a “performance” atmosphere.
CW: Another big difference this year is that Pope Benedict is inviting those who do not profess any religion to take part in the Assisi pilgrimage. The Vatican said it’s important for religious faiths to dialogue not only with each other, but with all men and women of good will, including unbelievers. The idea is to widen the grounds for dialogue to include all those who regard themselves as seeking the truth and trying to build justice in the world.
JT: In fact, the theme of the day is: Pilgrims for truth, pilgrims for peace. It begins with a train ride -- which journalists will of course call the “peace train.” Pope Benedict will host the other delegations on the train that departs Vatican City’s own terminal and arrives in Assisi a few hours later. After speeches, the group will share a simple meal in the spirit of St. Francis, then have time for silence and personal prayers. At a final gathering, participants will solemnly renew their joint commitment to peace.
CW: This joint declaration will no doubt include a principle that Pope Benedict, like his predecessor, has underlined many times: That violence in the name of religion can never be justified. I’m Cindy Wooden.
JT: And I’m John Thavis, Catholic News Service.
CW: The Vatican has released details of next October’s interreligious gathering for peace in the Italian hill town of Assisi. Pope Benedict convened the “spiritual pilgrimage” to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the first Assisi meeting by Pope John Paul II in 1986. Today we’ll look at how Pope Benedict is continuing a tradition, but also reshaping it in his own style. I’m Cindy Wooden.
JT: And I’m John Thavis. Twenty-five years ago, the world’s religious leaders joined Pope John Paul in the birthplace of St. Francis to pray for peace. In some ways, it was like a world’s fair of religious expression: Buddhist monks meditated, American Indians chanted and an African chief invoked the spirits of peace. It was a controversial event, even inside the Vatican. Some thought it risked giving the impression that all religions were equal. One Vatican official who did not attend was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict, who was said to have deep reservations about the encounter.
CW: So it surprised some people when Pope Benedict announced he was convening another Assisi meeting. This time, too, representatives of the world’s religions are being invited. But there are a couple of key differences. For one thing, there is no joint prayer service. There are spaces for individual prayer, a shared meal and a final meeting to renew the commitment to peace. This time around the Vatican is emphasizing that the participants are praying in their own distinctive ways.
JT: Does that means Pope Benedict thinks people of different faiths cannot pray together? Not exactly. You may remember that when the German pope went to Turkey in 2006, he stood and prayed next to a Muslim cleric in a mosque. But Vatican organizers of the Assisi gathering want to avoid the impression that prayer is like a melting pot where distinctive religious identities are dissolved. The prayer at this year’s event will also be more private than in 1986, when some felt there was a “performance” atmosphere.
CW: Another big difference this year is that Pope Benedict is inviting those who do not profess any religion to take part in the Assisi pilgrimage. The Vatican said it’s important for religious faiths to dialogue not only with each other, but with all men and women of good will, including unbelievers. The idea is to widen the grounds for dialogue to include all those who regard themselves as seeking the truth and trying to build justice in the world.
JT: In fact, the theme of the day is: Pilgrims for truth, pilgrims for peace. It begins with a train ride -- which journalists will of course call the “peace train.” Pope Benedict will host the other delegations on the train that departs Vatican City’s own terminal and arrives in Assisi a few hours later. After speeches, the group will share a simple meal in the spirit of St. Francis, then have time for silence and personal prayers. At a final gathering, participants will solemnly renew their joint commitment to peace.
CW: This joint declaration will no doubt include a principle that Pope Benedict, like his predecessor, has underlined many times: That violence in the name of religion can never be justified. I’m Cindy Wooden.
JT: And I’m John Thavis, Catholic News Service.