Spain, Germany, Italy

Spain: converted academics and intellectualsThe 57th meeting of Catholic academics in Spain, due to begin today at the Catholic University of Avila (ongoing until February 27) will focus on the contributions of philosopher Jacques Maritain, historian René Girard, the poet Paul Claudel and Agostino Gemelli, physician. The event is being held in preparation for the International Congress of Catholic Universities, due to take place in the same Atheneum on August 12-14, in the framework of the activities linked to the WYD in Madrid, with the participation of some fifty academic institutions worldwide. The theme of the initiative is “20th Century intellectual converts”. According to the organizers, “each one of these scholars and their own works constitute a remarkable intellectual and artistic response to the agnostic currents marking the second half of the 20th century. Thanks to their profession and their contributions to the academic and scientific realms, Christian culture has experienced a rebirth. “Along with many others, they bear witness the creative force of faith, standing out as a challenging model for 21st century academic environments”. “By proposing the work and the coherent life these converts”, concluded the promoters of the meeting, “we wish to respond to the question raised in 2008 by Benedict XVI: ‘What will we leave to the next generations?” Speakers in the meeting include philosopher Angel Barahona Plaza (University of Vitoria) , philologist Beatriz de Ancos Morales (University of Toledo) and Maria Luisa di Pietro (Catholic University of Milan).Germany: Islam at schoolIslam will soon be taught in German school establishment. On February 22nd the Minister of education of the North Rhine-Westphalia federal State of Germany signed an agreement with Germany’s Muslim Coordinating Council (KRM), a body that brings together four major Islamic associations in the Country, providing for the creation of a Council tasked with the teaching of Islamic studies in the federal State, “in view of the introduction of Islamic religion classes”. As reported by Austrian Catholic news agency Kathpress, the initiative is modeled on the procedure adopted by the Catholic and Evangelical Churches for Christian religion classes. The introduction of Islam in the Country’s educational system at school previously failed to be implemented due to the lack of a Muslim Association legitimately representing a population of 4 million Muslims in Germany in charge of identifying the contents of the lessons and act as the official interlocutor. In a statement, the ministry made known that “the ongoing talks with the Muslim Association, as in the case of North Rhine-Westphalia, are temporary measures in the framework of a process leading to the juridical recognition of Islam as a religious community”. The above-mentioned federal State has a Muslim population of 1.4 million citizens, 320 000 of whom are pupils. The school system is organized at federal level. In seven federal States (Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, North Rhine-Westphalia , Lower Saxony, Hamburg and Slesia-Holstein) experimental classes of Islamic religion are currently taking place.Italy: the Bible in the history of Europe”Retracing the history of the Bible means plunging into the fountainhead of Western culture. However, this process also implies raising questions about the future”. This principle is the leitmotif of the international conference ‘The Bible in the history of Europe, from divisions to encounter”, due to be held in Trent from April 29 to May 1. The meeting is organized by Biblia, a lay association devoted to the promotion of Biblical knowledge, not only as a religious text underlying the three monotheistic religions, but especially as a literary, artistic and linguistic patrimony shared by every cultural tradition. The initiative is jointly promoted by the archdiocese of Trent and by the Bruno Kessler Foundation, for the spread of theological sciences. “The contribution of the Text to the political realm cannot be denied, inasmuch as it triggered divisions and epochal changes”. In fact, the conference venue is the city of Trent that witnessed one of the most difficult and controversial periods in Christian – thus European – history. “The meeting – continue the organizers – will provide the opportunity to retrace crucial moments in the history of the Western world” and “whereby we will address questions regarding the future of the Book, entailing the future developments of our own origins, namely, can the Bible be considered as a cause of cultural divisions, or is it not a new realm in the promotion of dialogue and inter-religious understanding? It is possible to envisage the recovery of Biblical tenets within the various ambits of human existence, involving believers and non-believers alike?” Academicians from European universities will deliver panel lectures. These include Tullio De Mauro, Simon Claude Mimouni (Paris), Enrico Norelli (Geneva), Georg Fisher (Innsbruck), Msgr. Franco Buzzi (Zurich) . Info: www.biblia.org.