INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS: 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF "DEI VERBUM"

VATICAN CITY, SEP 8, 2005 (VIS) - In the Holy See Press Office this morning, Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, presented a forthcoming international congress on the theme: "Holy Scripture in the Life of the Church." The congress is due to be held in Rome from September 14 to 18. Also participating in the presentation were: Bishop Vincenzo Paglia of Terni-Narni-Amelia, president of the Catholic Biblical Federation (FBC); Alexander Schweitzer, secretary general of the federation in Stuttgart, Germany, and Msgr. Juan Usma Gomez, the pontifical council delegate for relations with the FBC.

  The congress has been jointly organized by the FBC and the pontifical council, for the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the promulgation of Vatican Council II's Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation "Dei Verbum."

  Cardinal Kasper affirmed that around 400 people from 98 countries are expected to participate in the congress. All the presidents of the world's episcopal conferences and of the synods of the Eastern Catholic Churches have been invited to attend, as have fraternal delegates from Churches and ecclesial communities in dialogue with the Catholic Church, as well as all members of the FBC, and representatives from dicasteries of the Roman Curia.

  The cardinal went to say that during the congress "we wish to consider the road we have travelled in the light of the decisions and recommendations of the (Second Vatican) Council: Is ecclesiastical preaching nourished and regulated by Holy Scripture? ... How can the biblical formation of pastoral ministers and agents be improved? How far have we got with the translations of Sacred Scripture from the original texts? What is the state of ecumenical collaboration in the biblical field?"

  Msgr. Usma affirmed that the congress "will alternate between theology, history and pastoral activity." The objective, he said, "is to institute and reinforce dialogue about the Word of God, on the Word of God, and with the Word of God."

  Bishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Catholic Biblical Federation which was founded in 1969 to promote the spread of the Bible in the light of the guidelines of Vatican Council II, then explained that the congress does not aim to examine the scientific aspects of Dei Verbum, but to "dwell on the pastoral elements present in the conciliar document."

  Bishop Paglia also noted that, despite the fact that over the last four decades the Bible "has returned to the hands of the faithful," Holy Scripture is still little known and read. Research recently conducted in Italy, France and Spain has revealed the fact that for many people "the Bible is still a book chiefly reserved for the clergy," he said, highlighting another problem as being that "many Christian communities, above all in the South of the world, still do not have the Bible translated into their language."

  The prelate recalled Blessed John XXIII who, in taking possession of the Basilica of St. John Lateran as bishop of Rome, affirmed that one of the priorities of his pontificate would be "to encourage all manifestations of the book, everywhere and without pause."

  He concluded: "We hope that the congress will encourage a new enthusiasm for Holy Scripture."

  For his part, Alexander Schweitzer, secretary general of the FBC which has 312 affiliated institutions in 127 countries, recalled that the congress will concentrate on three principal speeches. These will be delivered by Cardinal Walter Kasper on the theological aspects of Dei Verbum, by Bishop John Onaiyekan on the developments of the last 40 years, and by Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini on the role and pastoral utility of the Bible today. "All other contributions and discussions will take place in the form of round table discussions," he said.

  The first full day of work will be dedicated to the theme of "the Word of God in human words," and will center on such topics as the relationship between biblical exegesis and pastoral care, inculturation, and the Bible and the media.

  September 16 will be dedicated to questions associated with the pastoral use of the Bible in such fields as catechesis and the liturgy.

  Finally, Saturday September 17 will be dedicated to the question of ecumenical dialogue with the theme of "Sacred Scripture and Christian Unity," to relations with Judaism with the theme "the Bible, Holy Scripture for Jews and Christians," to inter-religious dialogue, and to the Word of God in the world today.
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