June 2021

Shinmeizan,   ” House of prayer and interreligious dialogue”, continues to welcome people who look for a suitable place where to pray and meditate, and to be a place where people of different religious traditions can meet and exchange their views, both “by presence” or… “on line”.

 Among the guests we welcomed this month, we wish to mention in a special way His Excellency Bishop Paul Sakai Toshihiro,  President of the Subcommittee for interreligious dialog of the Bishops` Conference of Japan (June 15-16) and Prof. Nagahama who visited Shinmeizan on June 29, accompanied by his wife and Ms. Sawai.  With prof. Nagahama, who coordinates the activities of the “Kumamoto group of interreligious dialog”, we discussed the way to resume our meetings, suspended  since the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic.

His Exc. Bishop Sakai presides over the Celebration of the Eucharist at Shinmeizan 

Among the main activities carried on online  during the month of June, we wish to mention

• The second round of conversations among members of the Nichiren Buddhist School, led by Ven. Shaku of the Hoko temple (Gifu Pref.), and members of Shinmeizan. Also this time the on line meeting was organized, at Shinmeizan, on June 24, by Ven. Hara, of the Choen Temple of Kumamoto.
• The participation of Maria De Giorgi in the online conference of the UNEDI (=National Office for oecumenism and interreligious dialog of the Italian Bishops` Conference) held on June 10; and in the webinar organized by the association `Study Center Piero Rossano of Alba (Cuneo, Italy)` on the 30^th anniversary of the death of this great master of interreligious dialog, who was, first, Assistant Secretary and, then, Secretary of the Secretariat for non Christians (now, The Pontifical Council for interreligious dialog), a dear friend and guide also of Shinmeizan.          
  
                                                                                             *    *     *

  During the month of June,  EGERIA ‘Rivista di Scienze Religiose – Journal of Religious Studies` (n.14/2021, pp.25-37), of the Institute of Religious Sciences of Tuscany, Italy, published an article by Maria De Giorgi on Buddhist-Christian dialog: Quale dialogo con il Buddhismo? La prospettiva Cristiana. (What kind of dialog with Buddhism? The Christian perspective.) 

Cover and Table of contents of the Review EGERIA