On February 13, 2025, at the LUMSA University headquarters (University of Mary Most Holy of the Assumption), the International Pauline Book Centre (Via del Mascherino 94, Rome), in collaboration with the university, hosted a highly significant cultural event featuring Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, Prefect of the Holy See’s Dicastery for Culture and Education, and Aldo Cazzullo, a renowned journalist and writer.
The event, moderated by the biblical scholar Rosanna Virgili, began with formal greetings from Prof. Francesco Bonini, rector of LUMSA University. At the heart of the debate – titled The Bible: An Infinite Book – were the works of the two speakers: The Inestimable Reading by Tolentino and The God of Our Fathers by Cazzullo.
Through a rich and stimulating discussion, the speakers explored the role of faith in the formation of cultural and personal identity, highlighting how the past can dialogue with the present. Furthermore, they underlined the importance of reading as a tool for growth, both individual and collective.
In conclusion, both authors reiterated the need for authentic dialogue, capable of enhancing biblical roots without locking them into a static vision.
The God of our Fathers, as Cazzullo essentially summarized, can also be the God of our sons and daughters, if we know how to transmit God’s essence without fear of the future. It was a message that left the audience with a renewed awareness of the value of biblical tradition and its relevance, so that we can all find a path of hope, as Card. Tolentino concluded, in every situation of life.
