VATICAN CITY — When Pope Benedict XVI departed from a seldom-used railway station inside Vatican City on a train taking him to Assisi, he followed the tricky path of interfaith dialogue first explored by his predecessor, John Paul II.
In the central Italian town, the 12th century birthplace of St Francis, the pontiff on Thursday met representatives of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism and the world's other major religions.
Andrew Medichini, Associated Press
In this photo provided by the Vatican newspaper Osservatore Romano, Pope Benedict XVI, center, leaves a train as he arrives for a peace meeting in Assisi, central Italy, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011.
The Vatican says that by calling the gathering Benedict intended to mark the 25th anniversary of the historic meeting organized there by John Paul 1986.
"The world today, as it did 25 years ago, needs peace," Cardinal Peter Kodwo Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said on presenting the program for the gathering.
"Following two and a half decades of collaboration and joint witness among religions, it is time to assess the results and to relaunch our commitment in the face of new challenges," Turkson added.
The Ghana-born cardinal, who is one of the highest ranking Africans in the Vatican, emphasized how the current global financial and economic crisis offered many points of reflection for religious leaders.
In the central Italian town, the 12th century birthplace of St Francis, the pontiff on Thursday met representatives of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism and the world's other major religions.
Andrew Medichini, Associated PressIn this photo provided by the Vatican newspaper Osservatore Romano, Pope Benedict XVI, center, leaves a train as he arrives for a peace meeting in Assisi, central Italy, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011.
The Vatican says that by calling the gathering Benedict intended to mark the 25th anniversary of the historic meeting organized there by John Paul 1986.
"The world today, as it did 25 years ago, needs peace," Cardinal Peter Kodwo Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said on presenting the program for the gathering.
"Following two and a half decades of collaboration and joint witness among religions, it is time to assess the results and to relaunch our commitment in the face of new challenges," Turkson added.
The Ghana-born cardinal, who is one of the highest ranking Africans in the Vatican, emphasized how the current global financial and economic crisis offered many points of reflection for religious leaders.
.
.
This picture seems prophetic; Read the following:
ReplyDeleteI saw the rapidity with which this delusion was spreading. A train of cars was shown me, going with the speed of lightning. The angel bade me look carefully. I fixed my eyes upon the train. It seemed that the whole world was on board. Then he showed me the conductor, a fair, stately person, whom all the passengers looked up to and reverenced. I was perplexed and asked my attending angel who it was. He said, "It is Satan. He is the conductor, in the form of an angel of light. He has taken the world captive. They are given over to strong delusions, to believe a lie that they may be damned. His agent, the highest in order next to him, is the engineer, and others of his agents are employed in different offices as he may need them, and they are all going with lightning speed to perdition."
- Early Writings, p.263.