News
At the third meeting of the Bologna Interreligious Round Table on Religion and Violence against Women, held 2 May, participants worked with the theme: “Do the churches move? Do men move?”
They explored the topic of gender violence from the perspective of religion. The event was organized by the Secretariat of Ecumenical Activities, Interreligious Observatory Against Gender Violence, Foundation for Religious Science John XXIII, and feminist theologians.
After signing a Petition against Violence against Women, participants were asked to give an account for that document, its progress, and its repercussions.
The discussion was also inspired by the Commission Studies of the Federation of Evangelical Churches of Italy, which leads an annual "16 days to overcome violence.”
Participants explored how intercultural dialogue can explore the intersection between ecumenical and feminist practices.
"Violence against women is sacrilege", said Father Trandafir Vid, cultural advisor of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese of Italy. “It is a sacrilege because it is an attack on the integrity of the family.”
About 2 million Romanians live in Italy.
Stephan Jütte, a theologian of the Reformed Church of Zurich, has stated, "It is not acceptable that we talk about 'feminization' in the church as if it were a disease."
