Some of you have asked about where we're studying in Rome. We'll be at the Centro Pro Unione, a centre that goes back to at least 1948 and has as its mission the promotion of Christian unity. In 1962, the centre was moved to the Phamphilj Palace in one of Rome's most famous squares called Piazza Navona (see picture above - the Centro is in the building on the right). During the time of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) the centre hosted weekly gatherings of Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant theologians (known as "ecumenical observers") who met with Catholic theologians and Bishops to discuss the work of Council. It was not uncommon for a comment made by one of the observers to be picked up and to find its way into an intervention in the Council hall the next day. In 1968, the centre became officially named the Centro Pro Unione. Today, the Centro promotes Christian unity through its many activities, including the summer Rome Program that we're participating in. If you're interested in reading more about the history, please go to the following link. At the bottom there's a video of the Centro's founding. It's in Italian but even if you don't understand it you get a chance to see the building that we're in!
Today our group visited the remarkable Marian church, the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Its inner core with its dazzling mosaics remains intact from the time that it was built around 430 CE in response to the Council of Ephesus, which declared Mary to be the Mother of God. Many additions have been built onto the original basilica over the centuries, reflecting developments and changes in the Catholic Church. As someone who studies decolonial theology and the interplay of Christianity and empire, I was especially fascinated by this church structure, which was built a mere fifty years after Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire with the Edict of Thessalonica in 380. While I could not help but be in awe at Santa Maria Maggiore’s grandeur, beauty and sheer size, I also could not help but think about how much of this magnificence came into being at the expense of imperial oppression. The two long rows of pillars running the length of the original church c...
It is an honor to stay at this historic location. Its origins exemplify the "culture of encounter" to which Pope Francis makes frequent reference.
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