Vatican City, Jun 14, 2004 / 22:00 pm
The “New Age” is the topic of a three day consultation at the Vatican that bagan yesterday as a follow-up to the February 2003 provisional document entitled "Jesus Christ Bearer of Living Water, A Christian Reflection on the 'New Age'."
The consultation is the initiative of the Interdicasterial Commission for Reflection on "Sects and New Religious Movements" and includes members of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and the Pontifical Councils for Promoting Christian Unity, for Culture and for Inter-religious Dialogue, as well as 20 experts on the subject from around the world.
Two of the topics to be discussed will be a discernment about and psychological techniques promoted by the 'New Age' and a deeper study between 'New Age' proposals and Christian spirituality. Participants will try to suggest some ideas for a pastoral reflection on the "New Age" for episcopacies.
The various topics were compiled according to the responses to a questionnaire sent out to episcopal conferences following the publication of “Jesus Christ Bearer of Living Water,” asking for suggestions of topics for study.