UNESCO in Paris will host the first meeting of the 'Courtyard of the Gentiles'
December 28, 2010. This office is working around the clock, in order to get a new
foundation off the ground and running – one which would promote
dialogue between believers and nonbelievers.
This Vatican-born foundation, the Courtyard of the Gentiles, is
spearheaded by Father Laurent Mazas. Mazas says the organization was
inspired by a speech Benedict XVI made in December 2009.
Benedict
XVI(21/12/2009)“The
Church should open a sort of 'Court of the Gentiles,' in which
people might in some way latch on to God.”
The Courtyard of the Gentiles was a historical free space in the
Temple of Jerusalem that was reserved for Gentiles, who wished to
pray there to one God, yet not take part in the mystery.
Nearly 2,000 years later and through this foundation, the Catholic
Church will organize a landmark open forum with non-believers, in
order to discuss the reasons for believing, and also topics like
medicine and culture.
Fr.
Laurent Mazas
Director,
Court of Gentiles
“The main idea is organizing meetings of an advanced
intellectual and cultural level about different topics, relating
to for example, transcendence, the existence of God. Also to say
to non-believers: look at today's world, the current situation
that we are living in together, globalization. We have to walk
together and reflect together on the sort of human race that we
want.”
Gaia
Zanini
Court
of Gentiles
“Themes are mostly centered around fundamental anthropological
questions, like faith-based questions and also the relationship a
person has with their own religion and how this has an effect on
their social life.”
The inauguration of the Courtyard of Gentiles will kick off in
Paris under the title, “Enlightenment, religion and common
reason”. The ceremony will welcome politicians, intellectuals
and philosophers and will be celebrated in March of 2011 at the
UNESCO headquarters in Paris.
The ceremony will continue to unfold, in the Notre Dame Cathedral
of Paris.
Fr.
Laurent Mazas
Director,
Court of Gentiles
“It will be an event geared towards young believers and non
believers, a joyous event with diverse aspects, and at the same
time a vigil of prayer organized inside a very holy place, in
order to also invite non-believers and believers.”
The organization is also planning similar meetings in Bologna,
Stockholm, Prague and Santo Domingo, and they are working on
having events in Russia, Spain, the United States and Canada.
Father Laurent hopes that the event will spark thought-provoking
debate between believers and non-believers.
It's a meeting that he
hopes will enrich the lives of both. For now, we'll just have to
wait and see how this ground-breaking event unfolds in Paris.
PVB/SC
FF/CTV
GDP
-WP-
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