The marital union is a crucial symbol of God’s intention and the possibility for a “new creation” Wright told the conference
Humanum: The International Interreligious Colloquium on The Complementarity of Man and Woman continued today as an unprecedented group of religious leaders appeared together today at the Vatican. Some of the most eminent Protestant and Mormon leadership in the United States shared the dais, along with an international array of scholars and representatives from the Anglican, Muslim, Sikh and Tao traditions. Setting aside differences, the featured speakers offered one another their unique perspectives and new language, about the meaning and purpose of marriage in their religious traditions and cultures. Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran (President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue) and Archbishop J. Augustine Di Noia, O.P. (Adjunct Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) presided over today’s panels. Cardinal Tauran opened today’s sessions by saying, “For the good of the entire human family, we are called to share common values in this dialogue of life among believers of different religions.” The Rt. Rev. Nicholas Thomas Wright, professor of New Testament and Early Christianity, School of Divinity, University of St. Andrews (Scotland) summed up the entire “history of salvation” from the Old Testament through the New to show that the schema of creation unites two into one: heaven & earth, the old covenant & the new, the man & the woman. He describes how the marital union is a crucial symbol of God’s intention and the possibility for a “new creation.” The Church’s teachings about marriage are a signpost in a stormy world, reflecting Jesus’ sacrifice to bring about the uniting of heaven and earth and reminding us why each married couple must struggle daily to die to self.
