Jerusalem forum launched to foster interfaith dialogue

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, has launched ‘Within Your Gates: The Forum for the Universal Vocation of Jerusalem’. This new interdisciplinary initiative is being developed in collaboration with the academic center of the University of Notre Dame.

The forum aims to build a shared, alternative narrative among different religious traditions to rediscover the universal mission of Jerusalem. It brings together scholars and practitioners from various faith backgrounds to engage in deep study and reflection. Rather than proposing political solutions or occupying institutional spaces, the platform seeks to facilitate mutual understanding through dialogue and the study of history and language.

The initiative follows years of closed-door discussions between Israeli and Palestinian scholars, particularly in the wake of the events of October 7, 2023. Daniel Schwake, Director of Notre Dame Jerusalem, noted that the platform was born from an invitation to listen to others with compassion and without moral superiority.