Rome (NEV / Riforma.it), January 17, 2021 – The Turin Interfaith Committee was born on the occasion of the 2006 Winter Olympics. Chaired by the then mayor Valentino Castellani, the discussion table brought together various representatives of the religious denominations present in the territory. “It is a municipal institution that in recent years has already represented an important body for the city, but which in recent days has seen its role recognized in a more formal way – writes Susanna Ricci on the daily La Riforma -. It has effectively become an advisory body.
This means that the Committee’s opinion comes into play on some issues that may concern the relationship between faiths and the city, for example in the management of burial and death, and of other various sensitivities in relation to this aspect of life”.
Ricci talked with the pastor and former moderator of the Waldensian Board, Maria Bonafede, representative of the Committee, on the matter: “It is a technical committee, rather than a political and thought committee … The fact that Jews, Muslims, Protestants, Buddhists, Hindus, Catholics sit down around a table to talk about issues and find solutions in harmony is an event with a very precious value, difficult to quantify”, Bonafede stated and concluded: “Of course there is still a lot to do in Turin, but the path is open to create culture and awareness on the themes of dialogue”.
