The 2017 ‘Festival of Religions’ & the Dalai Lama

Cardinal Betori, Iman Elzir, Mayor Nardella, Rabbi Levi

With the guest superstar His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the exploration of personal and cultural roots is the focus of this week’s Festival of Religions on September 19, 22, 23.

To see a a video of the Dalai Lama’s speech, visit Florence’s La Repubblica news site.

Among many reasons, the Festival of Religions was founded to counterbalance the reality that today’s world is one where identity, culture and religion are losing value and traditions are becoming less celebrated. This year’s theme is ‘I am,’ the discovery of one’s inner and deepest self, and the program features many spiritual leaders and lay thinkers.

The organizers of this three non-consecutive day event believe that “people should not be afraid to explore every part that makes us, ‘us.’ Instead, we should discover it and become it. Today more than ever, it is important to identify with our cultural context and work to maintain it.”

The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, today’s most important Buddhist authority, will made an appearance on the first day of the festival at the Mandela Forum, which will begin at 9 am. An interreligious dialogue entitled Freedom Within Rules, moderated by Monica Maggioni, president of RAI television, will kick-start the morning. The panel comprises Enzo Bianchi, founder of the Bose Monastic Community encompassing men and women of various Christian faiths; Izzedin Elzir, president of Islamic community in Italy; and professor of law and former European University president Joseph Weiler. The Dalai Lama will also deliver a public talk ‘Peace Through Education’ at 12:30 pm, organized by the Buddhist institute and the Tuscan Region.

The inauguration will also commemorate the 40th anniversary of the death of Giorgio La Pira, (1904-1977) twice mayor of Florence. Current mayor Dario Nardella will award the Seal of Peace to the Dalai Lama, one of the most important of the city’s acknowledgements. To attend, the public is required to make a donation of €10 online at www.festivaldellereligioni.it for the Lama Tzong Khapa institute.

The first public event on Friday (3 pm) will concentrate on the question: ‘Who are we?’ led by art historians Vittorio Sgarbi and Sergio Risaliti as well as philosopher Sergio Givone. They will explore the cultural roots and heritage of Italy (Sala Ferri, Gabinetto Viesseux).

The following conference, at the mosque in Piazza Ghiberti, will be based on the theme of ‘I am’ (4:30 pm). Francesca Maria Corrao, professor of Arab language and culture; Don Alfredo Jacopozzi, priest; Mohamed Bamoshmoosh, from the Islamic Community in Florence; and Daniela Misul, representative of Florence’s Jewish Community will debate the topic according to different perspectives (The Florence Mosque, Piazza Ghiberti).

With Father Bernardo Gianni from the Benedictine monastery at San Miniato al Monte and Piergiorgio Odifreddi, mathematician and science enthusiast, comes a discussion of science and faith seeking to strike a balance between contemplation and reason. Professor Andrea Simoncini of the University of Florence will be the moderator (Gabinetto Viesseux’s Sala Ferri, 5:30 pm).

The last day, Saturday, will commence at 11 am with the talk ‘Religion: motive or obstacle for integration,’ headed by Italian journalist Lilli Gruber. Marco Minniti, Italian minister of Internal Affairs and Dr. Pietro Bartolo of Lampedusa, Italy’s major refugee centre, will contribute their views (The Refectory of Santa Croce).

Again in the refectory, this will be followed by a look at ethics: ‘From Birth to Death,’ featuring speakers Beppino Englaro, father of Eluana Englaro who lay in coma for 15 years until her feeding tube was removed; Father Guidalberto Bormolini, whose life mission is to expand the understanding of the spirituality of death; and professor Gian Paolo Donzelli.

The relationship between war and religion will be explored at 4:30 pm, moderated by correspondent Alberto Negri. Historian and editor Ernesto Galli della Loggia as well as professor of French sociology, Michael Maffesoli, are among the invited guests (Sala Maddalena/Basilica of Santa Croce).

There are no admission fees on Sept. 22 and 23,  but those who wish to attend must book online at www.festivaldellereligioni.it. (karen gee)