VATICAN CITY, 18 MAR 2011 (VIS) – In the Holy See Press Office at midday today, the presentation took place of the “Courtyard of the Gentiles”, an initiative by the Pontifical Council for Culture which will involve two days of meeting and dialogue between believers and non-believers in Paris, France, on 24 and 25 March.
Participating in today’s press conference were Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, Fr. Jean-Marie Laurent Mazas F.S.J., executive director of the “Courtyard of the Gentiles”, and Stanislas de Laboulaye, French ambassador to the Holy See.
Cardinal Ravasi explained that “at the request of Benedict XVI the Church has decided to embark on a new stage of dialogue, exchange and joint activity among believers and non-believers. This has been entrusted to the Pontifical Council for Culture”.
The name “Courtyard of the Gentiles” evokes “the image of the vast area near the Temple of Jerusalem reserved for debates between Jews and non-Jews”, the cardinal said. “It complements inter-religious dialogue which has been going on for some decades and represents a long-term commitment of the Church which will interest many people in the world, believers and non-believers alike”.
“The aim”, Cardinal Ravasi continued, “is to help to ensure that the great questions about human existence, especially the spiritual questions, are borne in mind and discussed in our societies, using our common reason”.
Simply this is awesome and of course part of the engagement that the Church and especially Pope Benedict XVI represent. Not really for the so-called “New Atheists”, but for men of good will seeking the truth.
The president of the pontifical council went on: “That symbol of apartheid and sacral separation which was the wall of the ‘Courtyard of the Gentiles’ was cancelled by Christ. He wished to eliminate barriers so as to ensure a harmonious meeting between the two peoples. … Believers and non-believers stand on different ground, but they must not close themselves in a sacral or secular isolationism, ignoring one another or, worse still, launching taunts or accusations as do fundamentalists on one side and the other. Of course, differences must not be skimmed over, contradictory ideas must not be dismissed, or discordances ignored, … but thoughts and words, deeds and decisions can be confronted, and even come together”, he said.
Relations between Christians and Gentiles “can follow the paradigm of a duel”, the cardinal concluded, “but what the ‘Courtyard of the Gentiles’ wishes to propose is, by contrast, a duet. A duet in which the sound of the voices may be at antipodes – such as a bass and a soprano – yet manage to create a harmony without renouncing their own identity; in other words, … without fading away into a vague ideological syncretism”.
A duet not a duel – I love that.
The inaugural session of the “Courtyard of the Gentiles” will take place on the afternoon of 24 March at the Paris headquarters of UNESCO, presided by Irina Bokova, director general of UNESCO, and attended by diplomats and representatives of the world of culture
3 comments
A duet not a duel – I love that and so do I.
With the intellect and patience that Children of God have nowadays, I think that even if a duel does brake out, most will be able to con troll, I mean control their saber and also I’m sure that His Holiness and Jesus will make sure that Angels are standing by with one of “Heaven’s First Aid Kit” just in case “IT” does get out of hand. 🙂
God Bless Peace
I find it troubling that it’s described as harmony. As a musician knowing the value of harmony, I also recognize that it requires two or more voices. Isn’t the aim of the Church to get the world to move in one with the will of Christ, a kind of universal evangelization to make the Catholic Church truly all-encompassing? Non-believers and anyone who singing directly at odds with the Truth will produce discord, not harmony — by definition. There is music and harmony, but not by warring sides of the orchestra as in Charles Ives.
There is a legitimate diversity of opinions within the Church and from this, not specifically contrary opinions, comes the real harmony. Isn’t the Church herself a choir as she is? We must instead encourage all men to earnestly follow, as we mostly do, the will of the one conductor.
Our goal is not for them to sing a new part of their own devising at odds with ours but, by the grace of God acting in part through our living witness, to pick up the music and play along in full communion.
Benjemin, I get what you are saying, I think:) but I think that the point of the courtyard is to win souls through recognition that some truths are shared regardless of whether the entire belief system is shared or not….for example,even atheists, if they are moral people will share some truth with Catholics… this does not give credence to atheism but respect to the moral truth held in common between people…and there is the harmony between believers and non believers…for we understand that any truth found in common to be of God who is all Truth… if I am wrong in this please feel free to correct me as I am not attached my own interpretation… Peace..
Melinda