Franco Cardini - Le piazze di Dio

Franco Cardini - The Squares of God A meeting as part of the fourteenth edition of "History in the Square. The Squares of History" Let's focus on the three great Abrahamic religions, where the comparison is clearer and more precise. The square in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam is a sacred space, a stage for displaying power and glory, a place of testimony to faith. However, this comparison is asymmetrical: first of all, because in Christianity, a religion centered on the worship of a God who is also True Man, the great Square of God is split in two: St. Peter's Square and St. John's Square, that is, the square of the Pope and that of the Bishop of Rome, who in turn, somewhat like the True God who is also True Man, are the same person (although to say this of the Christian God would be a grave error: in Him, the persons are distinct). Just as in Christianity, at least two squares must be considered—but there are also Marian ones, especially Lourdes, and that of Santiago de Compostela—in Islam, the square of the Holy Shrine in Mecca and the one between the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque on the upper esplanade of Mount Moriah, where the Temple of Jerusalem once stood, must be considered. In Judaism, however, it is sufficient to consider the square of the Western Wall, improperly called the "Wailing Wall." The fact that this is being discussed in the Christian Jubilee Year gives the topic special significance.