Rome Reads the Bible

Last week, I brought you the St. Paul Reading Plan, an ambitious effort organized by Greg Keuter of the Divine Mercy Podcast to read the entire writings of Saint Paul between October 1 and December 26.

This week, Martha Bakerjian, the About.com Guide to Italy Travel, calls our attention to a week-long Bible-reading marathon in Rome. Starting on Sunday, October 5, with a reading from the Vatican by Pope Benedict XVI, the marathon will cover all 73 books of the Catholic Bible.

As Martha notes, "about 1200 readers that includes Catholics and people of other faiths" will read nonstop at Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem). (Despite its name, the church is in Rome--it commemorates the finding of the Holy Cross by Saint Helena.) CBCNews.ca notes that "Every few chapters the reading will be interrupted to play Christian or Jewish religious music."

Christians in America often describe the United States as the "most Christian nation" in the world, but it's hard to imagine such an event taking place here--let alone being broadcast on PBS. (Italian state television is broadcasting the entire event nonstop.) It may be a cliché to say that actions speak louder than words, but events such as this speak volumes about how deeply the Catholic Faith is ingrained in the Italian national character.

The marathon will come to an end on Sunday, October 12.